Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov at the XVII BRICS summit on «Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs, and Artificial Intelligence» (July 6, 2025, Rio de Janeiro)

Dear colleagues,

I sincerely welcome the participants of the 17th BRICS summit and express my gratitude to the Brazilian side for preparing a platform for constructive dialogue.

Modern global challenges require us not only to strengthen our internal potential, but also to adopt a truly multilateral approach to international affairs. Belarus sees the practical embodiment of this ideology in BRICS – an association based on equality, mutual respect and the search for collective solutions.

Today, when outdated unipolar mechanisms demonstrate their ineffectiveness and politicization, the role of BRICS as a support for a multipolar world, as a foundation and integral part of a fair world order is becoming critically important. 

In the context of global economic turbulence and growing risks of fragmentation of the international financial system, the BRICS countries demonstrate historic determination to create independent mechanisms of economic interaction . The BRICS’s latest initiatives have clearly outlined a course for building a financial architecture based on sovereignty, mutual trust and technological independence.

The BRICS family countries demonstrate a high level of readiness to deepen cooperation in the payment sphere in three key areas: expansion of settlements in national currencies, harmonization of financial markets and ensuring cybersecurity of payment systems. These initiatives are already moving into the practical plane. Bilateral agreements on mutual settlements, development of common standards and creation of a secure financial infrastructure are becoming the basis for building a sovereign economic architecture. Belarus is ready to contribute to the development of these projects.

We support efforts to create a multi-level settlement system that combines innovative payment instruments with reliable security mechanisms. In order to improve the financial infrastructure of the BRICS member countries, Belarus proposes to consider the possibility of integrating central bank digital currency platforms as they become legally and technically ready for integration.

Belarus also supports proposals for organizing interaction of financial and other message transmission systems of the BRICS member countries.

The New Development Bank is the most important element of the emerging financial architecture of BRICS . In March of this year, Belarus sent an official request to join its members. 

The geopolitical position of Belarus in Eurasia opens up broad prospects for cooperation in the field of logistics. Our country is ready to become a platform for the creation of modern logistics hubs, where advanced technologies, including blockchain and the Internet of Things, will be used to build transparent and efficient supply chains.

We view artificial intelligence as an integral part of technological sovereignty and oppose technological monopolization and digital colonialism.

We are convinced that BRICS, which unites technology leaders with enormous scientific potential, should take an active position in forming global rules for the development and use of AI. 

Dear colleagues,

To sum up, I would like to say that Belarus sees BRICS not just as an association, but as a strategic platform for the future.

Thank you for your attention!

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