South African President: More than 20 countries have applied to join BRICS
South African President: More than 20 countries have applied to join BRICS
More than 20 countries have officially applied to join BRICS, an alliance of emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Addressing the nation on Sunday night via television, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said: "The expanded BRICS will represent a diverse group of nations with different political systems that have a common vision for international stability." South Africa will host the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, which will be attended by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Xi Jinping of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov. In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, which prevented him from traveling to attend the conference, which is scheduled to take place from August 22-24. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the court.
President Xi will arrive in South Africa on Monday, a day before the start of the summit, on his fourth state visit to the country. South Africa has strategic ties with China and is expected to sign several agreements during Xi's visit. Ramaphosa has said that more than 30 heads of state and government from across Africa will attend the meeting. He said they want to build cooperation between BRICS and Africa so that the continent can open up opportunities for increased trade, investment and infrastructure development. Ramaphosa has said that apart from welcoming other African leaders, they will also be welcoming leaders from several countries in the Southern Region. The leaders who will arrive are from the Caribbean, South America, West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. He said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also attend the meeting following the invitation of the union. Ramaphosa has said that his country supports the expansion of BRICS membership, whose value extends beyond the interests of its current members. The BRICS currently make up a quarter of the world's economy, a fifth of global trade, and are home to more than 40 percent of the world's population.
