٠٠:٠١:٤٥Mandatory credit: G7 Italia
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Saturday that NATO and Western countries should 'tear down barriers' and 'have no bias' when engaging with BRICS member states, amid concerns regarding the organisation's expansion.
"If we want multilateral organisations, the UN in the lead, to become the key players in dispute settlement, we have to avoid contrast and differences with countries," Crosetto said, addressing defence ministers at a G7 meeting in Naples.
"Brazil, India. They are members of the BRICS group, but we should have no bias in that respect. We need to tear down barriers and increase the number of countries that are demanding that international crises be tackled with multinational and multilateral bodies," he added.
Crosetto stressed the need for greater ties to be developed with the Global South to combat global security issues such as the Ukraine conflict and 'profound instability' in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
"I made reference to those countries which believe that supranational solutions or, let's say, negotiation is the right way to approach any differences, whereas others believe in the use of force," Crosetto said.
BRICS has undergone two expansions since its foundation in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the group, which included Brazil, Russia, India and China. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia were all invited to join.
The 16th BRICS Summit is scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan. Leaders from more than 24 countries are expected to attend, with Russia's closest neighbours and partners in the Eurasian Economic Union and Commonwealth of Independent States also invited.
'We need to tear down barriers' - Italian DefMin says NATO 'must engage' with Global South amid BRICS expansion
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Saturday that NATO and Western countries should 'tear down barriers' and 'have no bias' when engaging with BRICS member states, amid concerns regarding the organisation's expansion.
"If we want multilateral organisations, the UN in the lead, to become the key players in dispute settlement, we have to avoid contrast and differences with countries," Crosetto said, addressing defence ministers at a G7 meeting in Naples.
"Brazil, India. They are members of the BRICS group, but we should have no bias in that respect. We need to tear down barriers and increase the number of countries that are demanding that international crises be tackled with multinational and multilateral bodies," he added.
Crosetto stressed the need for greater ties to be developed with the Global South to combat global security issues such as the Ukraine conflict and 'profound instability' in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
"I made reference to those countries which believe that supranational solutions or, let's say, negotiation is the right way to approach any differences, whereas others believe in the use of force," Crosetto said.
BRICS has undergone two expansions since its foundation in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the group, which included Brazil, Russia, India and China. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia were all invited to join.
The 16th BRICS Summit is scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan. Leaders from more than 24 countries are expected to attend, with Russia's closest neighbours and partners in the Eurasian Economic Union and Commonwealth of Independent States also invited.
Mandatory credit: G7 Italia
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Saturday that NATO and Western countries should 'tear down barriers' and 'have no bias' when engaging with BRICS member states, amid concerns regarding the organisation's expansion.
"If we want multilateral organisations, the UN in the lead, to become the key players in dispute settlement, we have to avoid contrast and differences with countries," Crosetto said, addressing defence ministers at a G7 meeting in Naples.
"Brazil, India. They are members of the BRICS group, but we should have no bias in that respect. We need to tear down barriers and increase the number of countries that are demanding that international crises be tackled with multinational and multilateral bodies," he added.
Crosetto stressed the need for greater ties to be developed with the Global South to combat global security issues such as the Ukraine conflict and 'profound instability' in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
"I made reference to those countries which believe that supranational solutions or, let's say, negotiation is the right way to approach any differences, whereas others believe in the use of force," Crosetto said.
BRICS has undergone two expansions since its foundation in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the group, which included Brazil, Russia, India and China. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia were all invited to join.
The 16th BRICS Summit is scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan. Leaders from more than 24 countries are expected to attend, with Russia's closest neighbours and partners in the Eurasian Economic Union and Commonwealth of Independent States also invited.