Pandor hails Brics summit – ‘All in all big success, congrats SA’

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor hailed South Africa for hosting the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.

The summit held at the Sandon Convention Centre from 22 to 24 August 2023 drew over 60 heads of states.

While the original Brics members, Brazil, India and China attended the summit in South Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not appear in person due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During the summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the bloc had adopted the Johannesburg Declaration 2, inviting Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to become full members of the bloc from 1 January 2024.

Inclusion

Pandor said South Africa was honoured and privileged to host the Brics summit.

“All in all big success. Congratulations South Africa, well done on hosting a 15th Brics summit so well.”

She said one of the key values of the Brics summit was inclusion.

“Out of the South African chair, we’ve agreed to establish more sectoral bodies – one of them being the Women’s Business Alliance, which reported to the summit, and the youth council, which has been created with the leadership of Minister Dlamini-Zuma.”

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Pandor said South Africa was “thrilled to have young voices at the opening and closing of the Brics summit.

“As President Ramaphosa said when he introduced the two, we are not just having Brics for now, but we are looking at Brics well into the future, and the presence of those young people confirms that we have a forward-looking approach to this forum,” Pandor said.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said Africa viewed the Brics partnership as a catalyst for “global growth and development that responds to the needs of all nations”.

Reaping benefits

Speaking during the Brics-Africa Outreach and Brics Plus Dialogue, the Brics Chair said African countries are not reaping the benefits of global trade.

“While many countries of the Global South are seeing significant progress in industrialisation, technological development, innovation and the digital economy, they are not fully reaping the economic benefits.

“By working together, by sharing skills and capabilities, by mobilising resources, we will be able to give renewed impetus to global growth and sustainable development,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa added it is the right of Africa to fully reap the benefits of global trade and investment.

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