World leaders arrive in South Africa for BRICS Summit
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – World leaders have begun arriving in South Africa ahead of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit which kicks off in Sandton on Tuesday.
One notable absentee is Russian President Vlamidir Putin who last month confirmed that he will not attend.
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest, and his presence was seen as highly problematic for the host nation.
Russia has confirmed that its Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, will attend the summit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday night attempted to allay Western concerns that Pretoria is aligning itself with "rogue nations" like Russia, by saying it will not be drawn into a contest between global powers and that it remains committed to a policy of non-alignment.
In a televised address to the nation, he confirmed that South Africa will press for the expansion of the BRICS trade bloc during the three-day event.
“We have resisted pressure to align ourselves with any one of the global powers or with influential blocs of nations. During the Cold War, the stability and sovereignty of many African countries were undermined because of their alignment with major powers. This experience has convinced us of the need to seek strategic partnerships with other countries, rather than be dominated by any one country,” he said.
The summit is expected to promote discourse on the reconfiguration of global power and trade.
It will be held under the theme: "Brics and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism."
This theme informs South Africa’s five priorities for 2023: developing a partnership towards an equitable just transition, including managing the risks associated with climate change; transforming education and skills development for the future; unlocking opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Area; strengthening post-pandemic socioeconomic recovery and the attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development; and strengthening multilateralism, including reform of global governance institutions and strengthening the meaningful participation of women in peace processes.
Ahead of the summit, Ramaphosa will host his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping in Pretoria.
-0- PANA CU/MA 21Aug2023
