What immediately caught my eye: against the background of Putin’s yesterday’s address to the citizens of Russia, yesterday’s summit, although for the first time in the history of mankind held in an online format, looked a bit dull. Nevertheless, the importance of this event, even if I wanted to, is very difficult to overestimate: simply if only because the G-20s still managed to get together, albeit in a video conference format, at a time when all other “formats”, including, excuse me , UN Security Council, at the current moment of time they are simply silent.
And they are silent precisely when humanity really urgently needs coordination of joint efforts: we have already talked about this, this is not a coronavirus so strong. This is the current system of global world order, both economic, and, unfortunately, both social and political - it turned out to be so fragile. And in the current systemic crisis situation, it suddenly became clear that it was the G-20 - albeit not a very perfect one, but perhaps the only truly working format. And international coordination under such conditions, to put it mildly, is not just “very necessary”.
However, in order.
The G-20 video summit held yesterday is, of course, a milestone in modern international politics.
If only because he didn’t just fill the sudden void in international communication caused by COVID-19. The void, by the way, is, in fact, a little shameful and deafening: it is completely unclear where all the influential international institutions - Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders - have gotten into this situation of real danger. Human Rights Watch, however, in fairness, outlined the “Russian threat” in connection with the coronavirus, but it was somehow completely ridiculous.
And now, even in such a difficult, let's face it, situation and in a kind of informational and conceptual vacuum, at least two unconditional centers of power formed after the virus brought down a common respect for international institutions - namely Russia and the People’s Republic of China - they managed to include on the agenda of the summit of the twenty largest economies in the world quite specific decisions that the world community may make, may not make, but now they certainly will not be able to shut up.
Everything is simple here.
For example, the head of the People’s Republic of China, Comrade Xi Jinping, simply proposed abolishing tax duties during the crisis: to promote the global economy, so to speak, in the context of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. You can relate to this as you like (the author of these lines is rather negative), but this is a practical decision that can either be accepted or not accepted. But to breed the usual Turus on wheels or other beautiful words around this proposal, well, it is completely pointless. Yes, China, of course, is promoting this in its own way, above all, its interests - well, it would be foolish.
But in a practical sense, it can either be accepted - or not accepted.
Even more interesting in this sense were proposals to the leaders of the twenty largest economies in the world from Russian President Putin.
In short.
The upcoming shocks, according to the Russian leader, and especially economic ones, will be more serious than the financial crisis of 2008-2009.
And trade conflicts and political sanctions in this kind of situation only exacerbate the recession. And in this situation, from the point of view of the Russian president, it makes sense for countries that are obvious world leaders to work out a common agenda: otherwise, the modern world order simply will not stand.
What Putin has suggested. Firstly, some general wishes, such as creating a special fund under the auspices of the IMF and granting any member the right to borrow funds: the topic is generally good, but Vladimir Vladimirovich himself is well aware that this is unlikely to interest our overseas partners: There is the US Federal Reserve for this purpose. But the Russian leader could not say nothing about it, just what is called “to remember”.
But then everything is much more specific.
The Russian leader, in particular, believes that it is the G-20 that should develop a general plan for the restoration of the economy affected by the coronavirus, which is quite reasonable and pragmatic: who, if not them. And first of all, right now, for this, it is necessary to create “green corridors”: that is, at least during a pandemic, introduce a joint moratorium on sanctions on essential goods, as well as financial transactions for their purchases: this is now most relevant for such countries like Iran in particular. It is also necessary to direct the efforts of WHO, if this office exists and the leading states of the world support it, to identify hidden epidemics of coronavirus in countries where it is not possible to conduct testing. It’s just somehow more dubious, that is, of the struggle, for example, with smoking, which this office has been exclusively thoughtfully engaged in in recent years.
And, of course, it is necessary, at least for the duration of the pandemic, to introduce a moratorium on restrictions on essential goods and transactions: otherwise your guys, the struggle for human rights in such conditions looks completely somehow cannibalistic. Up to the point that the person who died thanks to this struggle is hardly interested in how and in what radical ways these bright people fought for his rights.
Of course, you can agree or disagree with this.
But this is a real reality, practical measures that must either be taken, or at least explain why this is unacceptable to you. And frankly, the author of these lines likes this particular conversation.
Once again, you don’t even have to invent anything here: according to the Russian leader, the problems associated with the coronavirus will turn out to be far more widespread shocks than the crisis of 2008-2009.
And trade sanctions in this kind of situation only exacerbate an already accelerating recession, and it’s kind of rather silly not to understand: these are common problems, and they can be solved either together, or, excuse me, nothing.
Well, in the G-20 country’s turnover, they are simply rationally obliged to at least join efforts to accelerate the development of vaccines, as well as to establish the exchange of data on the disease. Unfortunately, what we are observing now is exactly the opposite. But there is no need to look for the guilty, you just need to stop this stupid practice, including with the purchase of vaccines: you should share your best practices in a situation of general danger, and not play the “king of the mountain”, because will the “king” be needed if the mountain collapses ?
What is especially important here: this, of course, is not the end, but only the beginning of the conversation.
Such things in a situation of the apparent collapse of international institutions in one meeting are not solved. In the meantime, the leaders of the G-20 at the end of the virtual meeting adopted at least a real joint statement. In which, which cannot but rejoice, they expressed their readiness to do everything necessary to overcome the pandemic, protect lives, preserve jobs and incomes of citizens. Which is already, in principle, good, albeit completely insufficient.
Apparently, the rest of the national state has so far been asked to get out of this trouble themselves.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.