BRICS foreign ministers hold meeting in South Africa to grow collaborations

(MENAFN) Foreign ministers from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) convened in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday for a meeting hosted by South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor. The gathering included Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. The ministers engaged in discussions on a range of regional and global issues, such as UN Security Council reform, protection of multilateralism, security, sustainable development, counter-terrorism, climate, energy security, and fostering mutual cooperation.

One significant topic of discussion was the violation of international law through unilateral international sanctions and their implications for the world economy. The ministers also explored the possibility of introducing a common currency for the BRICS countries and discussed the potential admission of new members to the group. Ma Zhaoxu highlighted the importance of BRICS as a platform for solidarity among developing countries and expressed enthusiasm for the growing interest from nations to join the BRICS family.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasized the ongoing efforts within BRICS to establish principles, criteria, and standards for admitting new members, emphasizing that the process is being carried out in good faith. Mauro Vieira underscored the success story of BRICS over its 15-year existence. During a subsequent news conference, Naledi Pandor confirmed that the 15th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg from August 22-24, dispelling rumors that it would be held in another country due to an alleged arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Ukraine.

Pandor clarified that providing diplomatic immunity to summit participants is a standard procedure, unrelated to any decisions made by international courts. Sergey Lavrov dismissed the claims about the arrest warrant, stating that they were published in just one English tabloid, and he does not read English newspapers. The meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town highlighted the continued importance of cooperation and dialogue among these influential emerging economies on a wide range of global issues.

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