Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will next week lead a South African delegation to the Sixth Brics Summit in Brazil.
The grouping - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will hold its sixth summit from 14 - 16 July, under the theme ‘BRICS - Inclusive growth: Sustainable solutions’.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the theme is in line with South Africa’s priorities over the next five years.
She said it also resonated with President Jacob Zuma’s call during the State of the Nation Address for radical socio-economic transformation in the country. The theme also firmly propels towards Vision 2030, as outlined in the National Development Plan, where South Africa is envisaged as being free from the burden of poverty and inequality.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said the summit will provide an opportune moment to reflect on the priority areas for cooperation during the second cycle of Brics summits.
The leaders will also discuss other issues regarding global governance and peace and security, the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) and reports on progress towards the establishment of the Brics-led New Development Bank (NDB).
“The issue of the venue or domicile for the Brics-led Development Bank is on the agenda,” Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said, adding that the countries’ finance ministers will meet before the summit to finalise the recommendations for the leaders.
In their last summit, the leaders had instructed the ministers to work on technical details around the setting up of the bank, which will spearhead infrastructure development in Brics member states and other developing nations.
The sixth Brics summit will be the first to be hosted in the second cycle of BRICS summits. South Africa hosted the fifth Brics summit in Durban last year.
During South Africa's tenure as chairperson, substantive progress was achieved in anchoring the new Brics mechanisms that were launched at the fifth summit. These include the Brics Business Council and the Brics Think Tanks Council.
Reports will be submitted to the sixth Brics summit on the work undertaken by these structures.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane also paid tribute to the achievements of Brics in regional and international affairs.
She said Brics was not only about the economy, but partnerships and collaborations, not only for South Africa but for the region and the continent.
“Since its first summit in 2009, Brics has consolidated its position as a positive force for the democratisation of international relations and for the enhancement of existing institutions of international governance.”
The minister added that ever since South Africa joined Brics, several partnerships have been forged across national, provincial and local spheres of government, ranging from knowledge exchange, investment opportunities and on issues relating to global governance and its reform. – SAnews.gov.za
