President Jacob Zuma will lead a South African delegation to the 9th Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit to be held in Xiamen City, China.
The 9th BRICS Summit scheduled for 3 – 5 September will be held under the theme: “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”.
As such, the summit will build on the past achievements of BRICS by deepening BRICS cooperation for common development, strengthening global governance to jointly meet challenges, carry out people-to-people exchanges to support BRICS cooperation and make institutional improvements, and build broader partnerships.
“South Africa looks forward to meeting with the like-minded BRICS countries as it strongly believes that these engagements will further contribute to finding innovative approaches and solutions to our identified triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, as well as the development objectives of the Global South,” the Presidency said on Friday.
On the agenda will be issues of mutual concern such as international conflicts, the fight against terrorism, and reform of the global system of governance, notably the democratisation of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods Institutions will also be discussed.
Leaders will meet with the BRICS Business Council, the President of the New Development Bank, as well as review salient economic developments and projects.
In addition, to the issuing of the Xiamen Declaration and Action Plan, new proposals will be explored to further deepen cooperation and to expand the BRICS institution-building agenda.
BRICS leaders will also engage in a Dialogue with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries, the invited countries being Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand.
The Dialogue will be reflective of trans-continentalism and bring together nations with a focus on the needs of the Global South in the context of globalisation and future development.
The economic ties between and among BRICS countries are being strengthened through the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership that was adopted during the Ufa Summit in Russia in 2015. In this regard, several agreements in support of the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership will be signed in the presence of BRICS Leaders.
The five BRICS countries account for 26 percent of the world's landmass and are home to 43 percent of the world's population. The bloc is composed of emerging markets and the developing world.
The Presidency says there has been substantive progress achieved since South Africa joined BRICS in 2011.
“Among others, the formation has strengthened its cooperative mechanism for institutional development, most notably witnessed in the creation of the New Development Bank and the recently launched Africa Regional Centre in Johannesburg,” the Presidency said.
In 2015, total intra-BRICS trade amounted to R3.06 trillion. South Africa’s exports to BRICS countries marginally increased from R123 billion in 2011 to R138.2 billion in 2016 while in the same period, imports from BRICS countries also increased from R115 billion to R230 billion. Total Intra-BRICS foreign direct investment was R554 trillion at the end of February 2016.
President Zuma's delegation will include International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, State Security Minister David Mahlobo, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des Van Rooyen, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Gratitude Magwanishe. – SAnews.gov.za
