The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum commenced on June 16th. The forum saw the participation of numerous leaders and ministers from Asia to Africa, including Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin who delivered a speech. The forum addressed the issues of multipolarity and alternative currencies to dollar.
Dr. Mehmet Perinçek, United World International author and the Vatan Party (Türkiye) representative in Russia, delivered a speech at the session moderated by Aleksandr Galushka, Vice President and Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. Among the other speakers in the session were Ivan Adolfo Acosta Montalvan, Minister of Finance and Public Credit of the Republic of Nicaragua, and Calixto Jose Ortega Sanchez, President of the Central Bank of Venezuela.
“Eurasian countries are obstacles for the US”
Dr. Mehmet Perinçek, introduced by Galushka as “our Turkish friend,” began his speech by stating “The main objective of the US is to seize the resources in West Asia and gain control over the access routes to these resources.” He said that Türkiye, Russia, China, Iran, and India are the primary obstacles to this objective of the US. Mehmet Perinçek pointed out that these countries have strong militaries and significant economic potential, alongside with a great historic tradition of statehood. He highlighted that the US is attempting to encircle these countries and Türkiye is facing American aggression.
The encirclement of Türkiye and Russia
Mehmet Perinçek stressed that the US supports terrorist organizations in Syria and drew attention to the aggressive bloc formed by the Atlantic powers in the Eastern Mediterranean: “The encirclement of Türkiye continues through American military bases in the Greek islands. They have deployed tanks there. Similarly, they are trying to do the same against Russia through Ukraine.”
“The dollar is infringing upon our sovereignty”
Dr. Mehmet Perinçek stated that the US uses two types of weapons. The first is “as you know, all kinds of arms. Today, these are either provided to Ukraine or to terrorist organizations like the PKK/YPG, which pose a threat to Türkiye’s territorial integrity.” Perinçek qualified the US Dollar as the second weapon, stating the following: “The dollar is cheaper compared to other arms, as it only requires a printing press, green ink, and paper. The dominance of the dollar allows the US to keep its rivals and other national economies under control. We know how they finance their military operations worldwide.” Emphasizing that “when you use the American dollar, you are using the weapon of the US” Perinçek argued, “The dollar is entering our countries’ borders every day, that is to say, violating our sovereignty as a tool of the enemy. The use of the dollar is in a way the presence of the US military in our country.”
Favorable conditions for de-dollarization
Mehmet Perinçek described the alternative to the dollar as follows: “We also have our own weapons. These are national currencies such as the Turkish Lira, the Russian Ruble and the Chinese Yuan. The stronger these currencies become, the more reliable they will be.”
Perinçek also highlighted that de-dollarization is not merely an economic issue, but also a matter of security: “De-dollarization can be seen as a matter of life and death. It means the disarmament of Ukraine and of terrorist organizations in Syria.”
Mehmet Perinçek stated that there are favorable conditions for de-dollarization: “Because a new world is being built. In today’s world, which is becoming multipolar world each day, it is more difficult to live with the dollar than without it. The relative weight of the world economy is shifting towards Asia. Even economists in the West acknowledge this as a fact.”
Perinçek also said that “Russia has proven the failure of the liberal Western economic system and the importance of national currencies, with customs once again becoming evident in the face of challenges.”
The opportunity provided by sanctions
Mehmet Perinçek pointed to the opportunity created by the Atlantic system’s unilateral sanctions against Russia and other countries: “These sanctions give us the opportunity to get rid of the dollar. They help us find ways out of the dollar.” He gave an example from the program of the Vatan Party in Türkiye. “The Vatan Party advocates banning the use of the dollar together with austerity measures in the economy. Türkiye has signed agreements with Eurasian countries envisaging trade in national currencies.”
Moderator Aleksandr Galushka thanked Mehmet Perinçek, expressing his appreciation for his assessment on the use of national currencies.