The Contact Group on Economic and Trade
Issues held its second meeting as part of the Russian BRICS chairmanship on 29
April. The meeting was held in video conference format for the first time at
the Roscongress Foundation and was chaired by Director of Multilateral Economic
Cooperation and Special Projects Department of the Russian Ministry of Economic
Development Natalya Stapran.
Meeting participants presented national
packages of measures to support the economy, as well as to lift the lockdown
and self-isolation regime.
“We
are facing a global crisis. Therefore, cooperation within BRICS requires urgent
and coordinated response measures in order to protect the health and wellbeing
of the citizens of our countries and to revive economic growth,” Natalya Stapran said.
While discussing the new version of the Strategy
for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025, BRICS partners expressed the need to
include in the Strategy joint approaches to counter epidemics and overcome the economic
consequences of the crisis like the current one.
Representatives of BRICS countries also
discussed the issues of supporting a multilateral trade system, revealing the
potential of the digital economy and implementing sustainable and inclusive
development agenda in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. They also noted
the need to provide transparency of all decisions taken regarding COVID-19 and
active participation of all BRICS countries in monitoring these measures by the
WTO.
They exchanged views on the impact of the coronavirus on MSMEs, including possible BRICS joint actions to support them amid the implemented measures to counteract COVID-19, the impact of the pandemic on trade and investment. The meeting gave specific attention to the prospects of easing the requirements for BRICS investors on foreign markets and creating a predictable and stable investment environment.
Official websites of the Russian Presidency of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship — https://brics-russia2020.ru/
