SCO & BRICS — Set 4

Correct Answer: C. Zhang Ming

• **Zhang Ming** = Zhang Ming, a Chinese diplomat, assumed the office of SCO Secretary-General in January 2022. • **January 2022** — Zhang Ming assumed office as SCO Secretary-General, a position he holds as of 2024. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Rashid Alimov: A former SCO Secretary-General; Vladimir Norov: A former SCO Secretary-General; Muratbek Imanaliyev: A former SCO Secretary-General.

Correct Answer: D. Yekaterinburg

• **Yekaterinburg** = Yekaterinburg hosted the first formal summit of the BRIC leaders on June 16, 2009. • **June 16, 2009** — This date marks the first formal BRIC summit, which took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Moscow: A major Russian city, but not the venue for the first BRIC summit; Saint Petersburg: A significant Russian city, but the first BRIC summit was not held there; Sochi: Known for hosting the Winter Olympics, but not the location of the inaugural BRIC summit.

Correct Answer: A. Shanghai Five

• **Shanghai Five** = The Shanghai Five, formed in 1996, was the predecessor to the SCO. • **1996** — This is the year the Shanghai Five, the direct precursor to the SCO, was formed. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: CSTO: Collective Security Treaty Organization, a different security alliance; Warsaw Pact: A defunct military alliance from the Cold War era; ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional intergovernmental organization in Southeast Asia.

Correct Answer: B. Expanding BRICS membership

• **Expanding BRICS membership** = The Johannesburg II Declaration announced the historic expansion of the BRICS group. • **2023** — The year the Johannesburg II Declaration was issued, leading to the significant expansion of BRICS membership. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Starting a war: BRICS is an economic and political bloc, not a military alliance that would declare war; Disbanding the NDB: The New Development Bank (NDB) is a key BRICS institution and was not disbanded; Adopting the Euro: BRICS members use their national currencies and have not adopted the Euro.

Correct Answer: C. A nation with limited cooperation rights

• **A nation with limited cooperation rights** = A Dialogue Partner is a state that participates in SCO activities in specific thematic areas. • **Dialogue Partner status** — This status allows engagement in specific thematic areas with the SCO but without voting rights or participation in drafting official documents. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Full voting member: Dialogue Partners do not have full voting rights; The host country: The host country is typically a full member, not a Dialogue Partner by definition; A non-member country with special ties: While true, 'limited cooperation rights' more precisely defines the specific nature of these ties within the SCO framework.

Correct Answer: D. $100 Billion

• **$100 Billion** = The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) was established with an initial total size of $100 billion. • **$100 billion** — This is the initial total committed capital for the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), designed for mutual support during liquidity pressures. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: $50 Billion: This amount is less than the actual committed capital for the CRA; $200 Billion: This amount is more than the actual committed capital for the CRA; $10 Billion: This amount is significantly less than the actual committed capital for the CRA.

Correct Answer: A. SCO

• **SCO** = The Dushanbe Declaration celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. • **20th anniversary** — The Dushanbe Declaration, issued in 2021, specifically marked two decades since the founding of the SCO. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: BRICS: BRICS was founded in 2009, so 2021 was not its 20th anniversary; BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, a different regional organization unrelated to the declaration; UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund, a UN agency, entirely unrelated to the Dushanbe Declaration context.

Correct Answer: B. China

• **China** = While all five founding members contributed equally to the initial subscribed capital, China's economy provides the largest overall backing to the New Development Bank. • **20% share** — Each founding BRICS member holds an equal 20% share of the NDB's initial capital, ensuring no single country dominates decision-making. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Russia: A founding member with an equal initial share but not the largest overall economic backer; Brazil: A founding member with an equal initial share but not the largest overall economic backer; India: A founding member with an equal initial share but not the largest overall economic backer.

Correct Answer: C. 2002

• **2002** = The SCO Charter was signed during the Saint Petersburg Summit in June 2002. • **June 2002** — This is the specific month and year the SCO Charter, the organization's fundamental statutory document, was signed at the Saint Petersburg Summit. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 2001: The year the SCO was formally established, but the Charter was signed the following year; 2005: A later year, not when the foundational charter was signed; 1996: The year the Shanghai Five (SCO's predecessor) was formed, well before the SCO Charter was conceived.

Correct Answer: D. India

• **India** = India chaired the 13th BRICS Summit in 2021 and hosted it in a virtual format. • **13th BRICS Summit** — India hosted this summit in 2021, choosing a virtual format due to the global pandemic. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: South Africa: Hosted the 2023 BRICS Summit in person; Russia: Hosted the 2020 BRICS Summit virtually; China: Hosted the 2022 BRICS Summit virtually.