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Last updated: April 3, 2012 3:59 am
Brics keep distance from western values
From Prof Zaki Laïdi.
Sir, Your editorial “Loose Brics” (March 30) has perfectly pointed out the limits of the Brics economies. However, beyond their sharp divergences on many issues, they share a common fundamental objective: protecting the principle that is in their view threatened by western countries: the political sovereignty of the states. The more they become part of the globalised world the more they want to keep their distance from western values. It is both a matter of identity and interest because they fear that the infringement of sovereignty might be used against them.
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For them, UN resolution 1973 on Libya was a political trauma comparable to the war in Iraq, which actually led to the constitution of the Brics as a political coalition. Brazil has already proposed an addendum to the resolution on Responsibility to Protect entitled Responsibility while Protecting. This amendment aims at limiting the use of this resolution in internal conflicts where force is used against civilians.
The Brics are partly responsible for the survival of the Assad regime. Their political rhetoric should not be underestimated in spite of its defensive nature. And there is no doubt that a possible Israeli strike against Iran will enhance considerably their influence in the developing world. The Brics are then a negative coalition of sovereigntist states.
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