President Cyril Ramaphosa says the BRICS partnership is a catalyst for global growth and development that responds to the needs of all nations.
“It is the right of Africa and the entire Global South to fully reap the benefits of global trade and investment. Without trade and investment our economies cannot thrive and our peoples’ material conditions cannot improve,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue, held on the last day of the 15th BRICS Summit on Thursday.
“As the African continent we are determined that the continent’s substantial resources are harnessed for the benefit and development of Africa’s people. The African Continental Free Trade Area, once fully operational, will unlock the benefits of the continental market and generate substantial opportunities for African and other countries,” he said.
To make use of these opportunities, Africa is looking to the BRICS partnership to unlock infrastructure and development financing, noting this was part of the founding vision of the New Development Bank.
He said the Bank is playing a leading role in efforts to increase the resilience of the global South, and to bring fairness to global trading and financial systems by strengthening the use of BRICS currencies.
“We have to reform global economic, financial and political governance, including the multilateral trading system, so that we create a conducive environment for fair trade.”
While many countries of the global South are seeing significant progress in industrialisation, technological development, innovation and the digital economy, they are not fully reaping the economic benefits.
“By working together, by sharing skills and capabilities, by mobilising resources, we will be able to give renewed impetus to global growth and sustainable development. We need to move beyond expressions of solidarity towards inclusion and mutually-beneficial economic cooperation,” President Ramaphosa said.
Call for special attention to global South concerns
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi commended President Ramaphosa for hosting a success summit, noting the summit has given them the opportunity to share views with countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Modi said that in discussions over the last two days, members have emphasised the priorities and concerns of countries in the global South.
“We believe that by calling special attention to these issues by BRICS, is a need of these current times. .. And we welcome all the new member countries [and] this will make global institutions and forums more representative and inclusive, a step towards such efforts of ours.
“When we use the term global South, it is not just a new diplomatic term. In our shared history we have together faced colonialism, [and] it was in this land of Africa that Mahatma Gandhi developed a powerful concept of non-violence and peaceful resistance, tested here and then used them in India’s struggle for freedom. His thinking and ideas inspired great leaders like Nelson Mandela,” Modi said.
Republic of Brazil President, Lula da Silva, said he was very impressed with the maturity of the BRICS Summit, and the results they managed to reach.
“The GDP [gross domestic product] of the BRICS is growing up to 37% of the GDP in terms of the purchasing power and 46% in terms of the world population,” da Silva said.
He also commended the team from the Foreign Affairs Ministers for the extraordinary work they did to conduct the declaration of Johannesburg which was signed on Thursday, adding that BRICS will continue to open to new members and also approve criteria procedures for future members.
Rebuilding of a new multi-polar world order
Russian President, Vladimir Putin also commended South Africa for the efforts made during their joint work.
Putin said BRICS stand for rebuilding of a new multi-polar world order, one that is “truly balanced and takes interest in as many nations as possible.”
He said Russia will always remain a reliable food supplier and continue to support countries who are most in need.
“We will promote the overcoming of all ways of inequality that exists in the world, and BRICS will continue to be the driving force of the new international order," Putin said. – SAnews.gov.za
