ASIATODAY.ID, PARIS – The G7 should not be positioned as an anti-BRICS group, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
France assumed the presidency of G7 this year, coinciding with India assuming the same role in BRICS.
France’s G7 presidency will put it at the heart of multilateralism, Macron said in his annual address to French ambassadors outlining the country’s foreign policy priorities on Thursday.
“The G7 should not be an anti-China club or an anti-BRICS club,” Macron said, adding “we can’t let the BRICS be an anti-G7 club either.”
The French president stressed the need to fight the “fragmentation of the world.”
“With India being at the presidency of the BRICS, I hope to work with it to be able to create bridges…Bridging these groups–G7 and BRICS, is a very important priority for me,” he said.
Bringing together these clubs is important and working with BRICS is essential, given the demographic weight of these important countries, Macron added.
The comments also came as India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar visited France to hold bilateral talks, and amid the global reaction to the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The French President also confirmed his visit to India in February.
Macron’s comments about BRICS assume significance as US President Donald Trump has publicly revealed his distaste for the group. Last year, Trump threatened an extra 10% tariff on countries that align with BRICS.
Trump has also reportedly backed a proposed bill to introduce new sanctions legislation against Russia’s partners, targeting India and China.
The bill, authored by Senator Lindsey Graham, a noted hawk, would authorize tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian energy products. (RT)
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