"BRICS" summit kicks off today in South Africa

 Today, Tuesday, the BRICS summit begins in Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa, amid the aspiration of several countries to join this economic bloc in a context of divisions on the international scene fueled by the war in Ukraine.

The leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa will participate in the summit. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin will suffice with a video speech due to an order from the International Criminal Court to arrest him on charges of war crimes against children in Ukraine. He will be represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The summit - which extends for 3 days under the slogan "BRICS and Africa" - is of particular importance in light of Russia's war on Ukraine and the geopolitical conflict between the United States and China, as the member states of the group raise the slogans of a more balanced and secure world, and call for an end to the unipolar era.

The agenda of this year's summit will include possibilities of future expansion of BRICS membership, which the bloc had earlier expressed its openness to.

The name "BRICS" is derived from the first letters of the terms of its member states in English: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

A total of 69 countries were invited to attend the summit, including all African countries. Several African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia, have already expressed their desire to join the bloc.

BRICS now account for 23% of global GDP, 42% of the world's population, and more than 16% of world trade.

Ahead of the summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that his country "will not be drawn into a competition between world powers."

Ramaphosa stressed that in "an increasingly complex and divided world due to the growing polarization of rival camps", BRICS is considering welcoming new members to expand its influence.

He stressed that "South Africa supports the expansion of the BRICS group" to include countries that "share the desire for a more balanced world order."

Source: Agencies

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