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DE RUEHBJ #3703/01 2681044
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0102
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0438
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9114
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4641
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2066

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003703 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2033 
TAGS: PREL ECON SENV ENRG CH RU BR IN
SUBJECT: MFA AND RUSSIAN EMBASSY PREVIEW SEPTEMBER 25 BRIC 
FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING AT UNGA 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson. 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) At least three Foreign Ministers from Brazil, Russia, 
India and China (the "BRIC" nations) will meet September 25 
on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), according 
to a Chinese MFA official.  Items for discussion will include 
international development cooperation and the Millennium 
Development Goals, climate change, food and energy security 
and international financial architecture, according to both 
an MFA official and a Russian Embassy officer in Beijing. 
The MFA official noted, however, that discussions may stray 
"far away" from the agreed agenda to issues of "personal 
interest."  The Russian EmbOff said the meeting will avoid 
"sensational" topics and instead focus on noncontroversial 
economic issues.  The Chinese MFA official reported, however, 
that one BRIC member had expressed a desire to discuss 
political issues "within the framework of the UNGA."  Despite 
insistences that BRIC is an informal grouping whose 
participants have not voiced any ideas about 
institutionalizing the forum, the group is gathering momentum 
as discussions continue.  BRIC finance ministers will hold 
talks on the margins of a November 2008 G-20 meeting in 
Brazil, and heads of state may attend a 2009 BRIC Summit in 
New Delhi.  End Summary. 
 
Agenda for September 25 FM meeting 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) MFA Department of International Organizations and 
Conferences Department Economic Affairs Division Deputy 
Director Guo Xuejun told PolOff on September 22 that the BRIC 
nations will meet September 25 on the margins of the UN 
General Assembly (UNGA).  Guo conceded that perhaps not all 
of the BRIC FMs will be "available" for the meeting, but said 
at least three FMs will attend.  Topics for discussion will 
include international development assistance, international 
financial architecture, the Millennium Development Goals, and 
food and energy security.  Guo noted that the FMs will also 
discuss climate change and pointed out that the "current 
global financial turbulence" has added urgency to discussions 
on international financial architecture.  Russian Embassy 
officer Ivan Zhelokhovtsev separately described the identical 
agenda on September 10. 
 
Main Aim is Dialogue 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Zhelokhovtsev stressed to PolOff that the BRIC forum 
does not aim to "work out a line of action"; rather, the aim 
is to engage in "regular dialogue" as developing countries. 
The upcoming meeting will mark the second consecutive year 
that the BRIC FMs have gathered for discussions on the 
margins of the UNGA.  In addition, the four nations' FMs held 
the first stand-alone BRIC meeting in July 2008 in 
Yekaterinburg, Russia.  Nevertheless, said Zhelokhovtsev, the 
ongoing BRIC dialogue is "very informal" and aims not "to 
come up with a structure," but rather to discuss "ideas." 
 
"Nothing Sensational" 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Zhelokhovtsev said "nothing sensational" will come up 
in the discussions.  He cautioned, however, that "Brazil and 
India are eager to discuss UN Security Council reform and 
increased international participation at anytime."  After 
recounting the economic issues on the agenda, MFA's Guo noted 
that "one BRIC member" has proposed to "talk about political 
issues within the framework of the UNGA."  Guo said that, 
although the four BRIC nations have agreed upon the agenda, 
the discussion could move "far away" from the original points. 
 
BRIC at Year One Mark 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Though the term "BRIC" emerged as far back as 2001 in 
a Goldman Sachs study on emerging economies, the four nations 
only held the first BRIC forum discussions in fall 2007 in 
New York.   While the participating nations have no plans to 
formalize BRIC in the near future, Zhelokhovtsev said, "it 
may be necessary for BRIC to have regular meetings."  In 
fact, he said, BRIC officials will engage in dialogue on two 
 
BEIJING 00003703  002 OF 002 
 
 
occasions in the upcoming months.  First, in November, BRIC 
finance ministers will hold talks on the margins of the G-20 
finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Sao 
Paulo, Brazil.  Then, in the first half of 2009, a 
stand-alone BRIC meeting in New Delhi may host the four 
nations' heads of state.  Hinting at the continuing 
uncertainties that surround the group's future, he added that 
these upcoming meetings do not necessarily mean that BRIC 
meetings will regularly occur in the future. 
RANDT