RBC Daily: "Putin calls for justice"
At their meeting in St Petersburg, the prime ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concentrated on the outstanding problems of Europe and America, the imminent renewed recession and the need to counter these threats. They believe they can establish a new, more just world order with a concerted effort.
The SCO tenth anniversary included the club's six members – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and officials and observers from Iran, India, Mongolia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The latter has applied for SCO membership this year.
Every speaker touched on the problems of Europe and America. Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov was the first to take the floor. "The global economy is going through hard times. We are witnessing the deterioration of financial problems in the United States and Europe, the collapse of stock markets and growing national debts," he said. Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov agreed: "Our President Islam Karimov said in early 2010 that the EU and U.S. statements on overcoming the recession were premature. The risks of a new round in the recession are growing higher. The financial markets have been pumped with money and there is the threat of inflation on an international scale."
Azimov believes that capital infusions by governments have merely weakened the grip of the crisis but have not addressed the underlying causes. "The next phase may be more protracted," he predicted. A spokesman for India said that the Eurozone crisis threatens to spill over to the rest of the world.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed that the Eurozone problems were far from being resolved and wished success to his European colleagues. He also mentioned "the arrogant global powers that first supported authoritarian regimes in Northern Africa but then backed the revolutions." "This is both strange and interesting," he said.
The officials said that the SCO is capable of establishing a new, more just world order with a concerted effort. China suggested setting up an interstate development bank to support investment projects and create a safety cushion.
The SCO's close attention to Europe raised some questions. Putin responded, "I don't think we have discussed the Eurozone too much," Putin objected. "The thing is that their problems have a direct impact on our countries." Putin recalled that neither Russia, nor China have any problems on the scale of the Old World. An 80% national debt is not uncommon in Europe but in Russia its only 10%. "A mere 3% of our debt are in foreign loans," Putin went on. "We can say that our finances are sound."
Both Russia and China are ready to help Europe through the IMF. Rejecting the almost obvious assumption, Putin denied that Russia would exchange financial aid for loyalty to its energy projects (Nord Stream and South Stream). He added that Russia could enhance its status in the IMF this way. A joint statement from the prime ministers reads that the SCO countries intend to establish "a more just world order that would open up equal access to the benefits of globalisation."
Inga Vorobyova
