On the eve of the G20 summit, the International Media Network TV BRICS and its partners – the media of the BRICS countries – conducted a series of exclusive interviews with leading experts from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, spoke to TV BRICS about the role of the G20 Summit.

Sergey Cheremin graduated with honors from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in 1989. He holds a PhD in economics. From 1991 to 2005 he worked in senior positions in Russian banks. From 2005 to 2010, he was Chairman of the Board of Moscow Bank of Reconstruction and Development and Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSFC Sistema.

Since 8 November 2010, Sergey has been working for the Moscow City Government. He has been awarded certificates of honour by the President and the Government, orders and medals of the Russian Federation, and numerous foreign awards.

In 2023, the G20 summit participants are expected to have a very busy programme. What, in your opinion, will be the most relevant topics?

The G20 countries not only continue to play a very serious role in shaping world trade, but also determine all world politics. Currently, almost two thirds of the world’s population live in them. They represent almost 75 per cent of global GDP. And, of course, this also determines the agenda that will be discussed by the G20. It seems to me that the main topics at the upcoming summit will be about strengthening international cooperation and expanding the activity of companies in the field of logistics, because today there are quite serious problems due to the disruption of logistics chains. Environmental safety, green technologies, regional security, transparency of business processes will be also discussed. I think that the need to expand the use of national currencies and international settlements will definitely come up.

You mentioned the topic of payments in national currencies. As you know, the creation of a new BRICS currency is currently being widely discussed. How relevant can this topic be for the G20 member countries?

This issue is very relevant today, and it was raised at the BRICS summit that was held in South Africa. Many countries believe that the creation of such a single currency or a system of mutual payments for the BRICS countries is a very important and urgent issue. Today there are quite active consultations between central banks and the business community. And I think that in the coming years we will see that such a currency will be created. In terms of financial technology, of course, there is still a lot to be done, but it is a necessary condition for the expansion of economic cooperation among the BRICS.

How do you see the G20 club’s cooperation on climate change issues?

The climate agenda was discussed by the G20 at the beginning of the year. The Moscow delegation took an active part in this summit. Moscow today is one of the leaders in the use of green technologies. We were the first major metropolis in Eastern Europe to place green bonds. And just recently, bondholders received payments and coupons. These funds were used to develop electric metro transport, purchase electric buses, and develop green technologies. The topic of climate change is constantly present on almost all international platforms.

The G20 countries were among the first to actively introduce green technologies, and they continue on this path. Although many experts are quite sceptical, for example, about banning the use of nuclear energy. A number of other decisions are controversial, but I think the future lies in the green economy. Many megacities are trying to become carbon neutral, so the strategies of the world’s largest cities are definitely on the environmental agenda today, and Moscow, I think, will also be a leader in this area. The mayor of the Russian capital has already announced that by 2030 we plan to have only electric transport in the capital.

As you know, the summit will discuss the expansion of transport and logistics infrastructure. Could you tell us, please, what are the main advantages of this process for the world economy?

Logistics chains were disrupted during the pandemic. Today, we are quite actively building new technological processes and transport corridors. For example, a well-known project in which the Russian Federation is actively involved together with Azerbaijan, Iran, India and other countries is the North-South corridor, which will significantly speed up the movement of goods. This is such a well-known project as the Northern Sea Route, which will also make adjustments to global logistics chains. This is the Vladivostok-Chennai corridor and many other projects.

I think that this topic will also be very important during the “One Belt, One Road” forum in Beijing, which will be held in October this year. For the development of national economies and businesses, to ensure mobility, to ensure the reliability of logistics supplies, this is a priority today. And we too, as the Moscow government, are actively involved in the discussion of these issues.

In 2023, the G20 Summit in India will be held under the slogan “One Land, One Family, One Future”. In your opinion, what meaning do the organisers put into these words?

I think it was a very wise, philosophical decision. Because we are all inhabitants of one planet. We simply have to think about ensuring a strong, reliable world, without any exceptions or preferences for certain kinds of countries. The unipolar world has long been out of fashion, so political processes are developing quite rapidly, with new platforms being formed, such as BRICS and SCO. The countries of the Eurasian Union are very actively demonstrating integration.

And these processes will continue. I think that we will also see such integration at the interregional level. At least, we can feel it on the example of the Moscow government. A huge number of major megacities, macro-regions are trying to build relations with each other both in the economic sphere and in the sphere of humanitarian ties and cultural ties. That is why the slogan proclaimed by India will be geopolitically defining in the near future.

The special media project of the international network, BRICS & G20 is a series of videos and exclusive interviews with leading experts from the BRICS and G20 summits.

The BRICS countries are participating in the G20’s “governing troika” mechanism (former, current and future presidents). This will make it possible to promote the interests of developing countries in the G20 format.

Photo: TV BRICS