South African President: BRICS Group plays an important role in the world

  The President of the Republic of South Africa said that the BRICS member countries are capable of making significant changes in the world economy and international relations. According to the Sputnik news agency, Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Sunday evening that the BRICS group plays an important role in the world due to its economic power, political influence and development cooperation. "The BRICS summit will be held simultaneously with global challenges that will determine the course of international events in the coming years," he added. From August 22 to 24, the BRICS group, which includes the largest emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), will hold the 15th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Johannesburg. Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also be present at the summit in Johannesburg. The BRICS leaders disagree about the criteria for accepting new members in order to expand the economic bloc. According to South Africa, more than 40 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia, have expressed interest in joining the BRICS. The group is also expected to discuss how to increase the absorption of money and local currency lending in the new development bank (BRICS Bank).