South Africa finalises XV BRICS Summit format

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed South Africa’s readiness to host the historic XV Summit of BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It will be the first BRICS Summit to be hosted in person since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global restrictions.

 

President Ramaphosa has in recent months and weeks held a number of consultations on the hosting of the Summit. The President’s most recent consultation in this regard took place last night, Tuesday, 18 July 2023, at the BRICS Political Party Dialogue in Gauteng.

 

The Summit will be attended by the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

 

By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the Summit, but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister, Mr Sergey Lavrov.

 

In due course, a comprehensive statement on the substantive issues to be covered at the Summit and other related foreign policy matters will be issued.

 

President Ramaphosa is confident that the Summit will be a success and calls on the nation to extend the necessary hospitality to the many delegates who will arrive from various parts of the continent and the globe.

 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa – +27 82 835 6315

 

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

Summit declarations

SA to unite the African voice for the development of common Agri-Parks

The BRICS Business Council (BBC) has unpacked the key priorities of its Agribusiness Working Group (AWG), as well as the opportunities that lie through the activation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), both for Intra-Africa and BRICS-Africa trade prospects.

 

As Agriculture remains essential in boosting economic growth, inclusion, and job creation within BRICS countries, the AWG further accelerates this sector’s growth, benefiting each member country’s insights and services. Speaking in a panel discussion at the 8TH FARA Agribusiness and Science Week (AASW) which concluded on Thursday 8 June in Durban, the Chair of the South African Chapter of the BBC, Busi Mabuza urged African markets to speak in a united voice in establishing partnerships with BRIC nations towards the development of common Africa Agri-Parks.

 

“With the enablement of the AfCFTA, and FARA, Africa is able to unlock opportunities through an integrated approach, where we are able to include not only intra-Africa trade but also foster BRIC – Africa commercial relationships,” said Mabuza. The event, which saw academia, policymakers and agribusiness leaders, seeks to sensitize industry players on the agro-industrial parks as an effective tool in the long-term economic structural transformation of the continent within the context of the AfCFTA.

 

 South Africa together with its global counterparts of the BBC, have chartered a programme that, with the imminent BRICS Summit in August, will allow the continent to find ways to unlock best practices on agricultural sustainable development as well as ways to improve fertilizer availability which are critical to the industry. These are two of the five priorities highlighted by Mabuza.

 

The other three priorities include:

 

  • Knowledge sharing on Agri-technology’, where the expertise of China and Brazil will be particularly useful. India also announced a R2billion investment towards its Agro-Parks in 2022, which provides the opportunity for Africa to learn mechanisms to attract similar financial injections, particularly concessional finance.

  • Trade and Investment is a pivotal area as there remains a significant need for intra-BRICS trade, notwithstanding all the agricultural successes within BRICS markets. The AWG creates opportunities for business facilitation, sharing of information about export opportunities in each country and businessto-government communication to avert trade-related challenges.

  • Agricultural finance focuses on the drive towards smart-climate-agriculture and the adoption of new farming methods (like the European Union’s Green Deal) will require innovative ways of financing. Knowledge sharing from experts within the BRICS formation will be key. South Africa as a global Chair, will share its experience through the programmes of the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa as well as the National Department of Agriculture.

 

Adding to this, Mabuza cited that “access to information, opportunities, capacity, skills development and markets, are some of the critical elements that should accompany finance which we intend to incorporate into our approach, as advised by business partners in the industry.

 

“BRICS now constitutes nearly a third of global GDP and boasts four of the top ten largest Agri-produce exporters in the world, which also develop superior Agri-technology and two of them being the fastest growing economies in the world, presents monumental opportunities for Africa’s commercial growth to be leveraged.”

 

For all BRICS programme enquiries and media interview requests, contact:

 

Zikona Captain at: zikona@sabricsbusinesscouncil.co.za or Whatsapp @ +27717506866

 

ISSUED BY BRICS BUSINESS COUNCIL, ZIKONA CAPTAIN

Welcome Remarks and Statement by HE Dr GNM Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Republic of South Africa, at the Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cape Town, 2 June 2023

Your Excellency, Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas,
Ambassadors, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I have the honour to welcome you to Cape Town, South Africa, for our meeting as BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers.

 

South Africa chairs BRICS this year under the theme “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism.” Our vision is for BRICS to provide global leadership in a world fractured by competition, geopolitical tension, inequality, and deteriorating global security.

 

This is the third time we chair BRICS since South Africa was invited to join in 2010. That was a time of optimism. Countries were considering problems bigger than themselves. We were united in horror at the global ravages of war, shocked by the impact of climate change, disturbed by the continued presence of global poverty and underdevelopment.

 

In 2015, we joined together to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The opening lines of the preamble remind us:

 

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom.

 

We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.

 

All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan.

 

We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet.

 

We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.

 

As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.

 

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is clear that today, we no longer share an understanding of the greatest global challenge. This is despite the reality that the COVID-19 pandemic set back our efforts to achieve Sustainable Developments Goals by almost a decade.

 

There is increased economic risk for the most vulnerable with low growth levels in much of the globe, and neglect of those in the greatest need. Food inflation and high energy prices have strained incomes and resulted in high debt costs and persistent uncertainty. And the attention and resources of our Western partners have been diverted and the agendas of our multilateral organisation no longer respond to the needs and demands of the global South.

 

The world has faltered in cooperation. Developed countries have never met their commitments to the developing world and are trying to shift all responsibility to the global South.

 

The poor and marginalized are facing the greatest threat in that their plight is forgotten while the so-called great powers fight. This is not the world we hoped for when the Cold War ended. This is not the world we promised our people in the 2030 Agenda.

 

South Africa desires a return to peace, multilateralism, and partnerships for development.

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that: “we think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do it well it spreads out, it is for the whole of humanity”. This is the essence of Ubuntu, a humanist African philosophy that underlies South Africa’s diplomacy as well the BRICS principles of mutually beneficial South – South cooperation.

 

The countries in this room today, and those joining virtually, represent a significant majority of the world’s territory, population and economy. We bring together continents, cultures, societies and civilisations.

 

Our first speaker as the Friends of BRICS is the Foreign Minister of the Comoros, a small island developing state carrying the voice of 55 African states, 1.4 billion Africans, part of a $3 trillion dollar continental economy. With their exclusive economic zones, the over 50 SIDS members bring together the second largest territory in the world after our Russian friends.

 

We in this room must decide on our plan of action. We are led by the 2030 Agenda. A regional conflict has not replaced eradicating global poverty as the world’s greatest global challenge. How do we bring the world’s attention and resources back to this fact?

 

The 2030 Agenda speaks of the need to transform and not just reform. One of the founding principles of BRICS has been our shared vision of the urgent need for global governance reform towards a more fair, just, equitable and representative world. 15 years later, it is clear that there is little appetite for reform from those in power. How do we transform our multilateral institutions so that they respond to our needs?

 

The 2030 Agenda speaks of collaborative partnership. How can BRICS and Africa –BRICS and the global South- move forward together with a common voice and collective action? How do we ensure that no one is left behind?

 

These are the questions I hope we can answer today.

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

This meeting is one where BRICS seeks cooperation and collaboration with you. We stand to learn from you how we can work in partnership towards delivering mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development, and inclusive multilateralism.

 

I thank you.

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
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Live streaming of the meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations

The Meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, taking place today and tomorrow (1–2 June 2023). will be streamed live on the BRICSza Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

The opening session starts at 15h00 today, followed by a press conference at approximately 18h20. Both sessions will be streamed live on the above-mentioned platforms.

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

BRICS Conferences Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges

On 29 May 2023, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a notice in the government gazette on Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges for the upcoming BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Cape Town and BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg in August.

 

This is a standard conferment of immunities that we do for all international conferences and summits held in South Africa irrespective of the level of participation. The immunities are for the conference and not for specific individuals. They are meant to protect the conference and its attendees from the jurisdiction of the host country for the duration of the conference.

 

These immunities do not override any warrant that may have been issued by any international tribunal against any attendee of the conference.

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

Collection of Media Accreditation for the BRICS Ministers’ Meeting

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) wishes to advise the media that the collection of accreditation cards for the meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations will not commence on Monday, 29 May 2023, as previously announced. Further updates will be issued. The Department apologies for any inconvenience that may be caused. 

 

Enquiries: Nelson Kgwete, +27 76 431 3078 

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

South Africa to host the Meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers in Cape Town

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will host the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations on 1 June 2023 in Cape Town. The mid-term meeting provides an opportunity for BRICS Foreign Ministers to reflect on regional and global developments.

 

Minister Pandor, as the Chair of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting, will continue with the policy of inclusive engagement by inviting 15 Foreign Ministers from Africa and the global south to a “Friends of BRICS” meeting to be held on 2 June 2023.

 

The ministerial meetings will be preceded by the meeting of Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas from 29 – 30 May 2023.

 

Members of the media interested in covering the meeting are requested to send the following information to Patience Mtshali, MtshaliP@dirco.gov.za and Kgopotso Rapakuana, RapakuanaK@dirco.gov.za.

 

•    Full Names and Surname
•    ID/Passport Number (for passport holders, please provide date of issue, country of issue and date of expiry)
•    Name of Media House
•    Designation

 

The deadline for the submission of the above information is 26 May 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.

 

NB: Due to space limitations, media houses are advised to assign not more than two journalists to the event.

 

Enquiries: Mr Nelson Kgwete, 076 431 3078

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

Welcome Remarks by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini, to the Ninth BRICS (MENA) Meeting held in Century City, Cape Town, 26 April 2023

Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys for the MENA region,

Heads of the Senior Officials Meeting,

BRICS delegates,

Members of the Media,

Excellencies,

 

It gives me great pleasure to chair the Ninth BRICS Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys Meeting. This is our first in person/hybrid meeting since 2019. On that note I want to extend a warm welcome to you and hope that you enjoy your stay in Cape Town. I am looking forward to our positive deliberations on developments in the MENA region, and adoption of our joint outcome statement.

 

I want to thank our senior officials and technical experts for preparing our BRICS Joint Outcome Statement on the MENA region.

 

Excellencies,

 

We meet at a time of significant global, continental and regional challenges which include, but are not limited to addressing food security, energy security, climate change, conflict and instability.

 

Excellencies,

 

There seems to be a quiet but incremental geopolitical change taking place in the Middle East right now. Firstly, the region is entering a new phase of friendly relations with the resumption of diplomatic relations between Suadi Arabia and Iran. This positive rapprochement was facilitated by the People’s Republic of China on 10 March 2023 in Beijing. We warmly welcome this agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, to re-open their Embassies and missions in the next two months. We maintain that the rapprochement between these two countries will greatly contribute towards peace, stability and development in the region. We equally welcome and are proud of the role played by our fellow BRICS member, The Peoples Republic of China, as well as the role played by Oman and Iraq, in the mediation and facilitation of this agreement.

 

Secondly, another positive development in the region, which we should welcome took place in April this year, when the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Syrian President Bashar. The visit was designed to find a political solution to Syria’s civil war and the normalisation of Saudi Syrian relations.

 

Excellencies,

 

The year 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba, that led to the occupation and displacement of Palestinians from their homelands. Since 1948, the Palestinian people have been subjected to countless injustices and an ongoing cycle of destruction, displacement, dispossession, and progressive fragmentation of their territory.

 

South Africa is deeply concerned by the continuing levels of violence and grave attacks directed against Palestinians in recent months by Israeli settlers and Israeli occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The brutality and provocative rhetoric of these actions perpetuates an endemic cycle of violence which is not conducive to peace, and detracts from a just settlement, based on a two-State solution.

 

Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine discriminates against and violates Palestinians legitimate rights. In this regard, we must be resolute in upholding international law, international human rights law and humanitarian law. We are therefore encouraged by the decision of the UN General Assembly to request an Advisory Opinion from the ICJ on “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

 

South Africa remains committed to a solution, which is premised on a just settlement with just laws that are rights-based. We reiterate our support for the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights including but not limited to their right to self-determination.

 

One of the biggest security challenges in the MENA remains the issue of violent extremism, terrorism, and armed conflict through both traditional and non-traditional asymmetrical and non-linear warfare. The rise of violent extremist terrorist groups over the past decade such as ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Shabab and AQIM amongst others has caused great damage to the region and beyond.

 

To this end we as BRICS must condemn terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. South Africa is of the view that only through ongoing cooperation, continuous assessment of the threat and sharing of information, can we begin to make progress in addressing this challenge and enhancing our capabilities and effectiveness in addressing our specific contexts in countering terrorism. We support the efforts of the United Nations, which is best placed to deal with this threat in all its forms, helping to develop international consensus and promoting international standards for countering terrorism, whilst ensuring global efforts are rooted in respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. We must also acknowledge the work done by various institutions and countries to fight terrorism. In this regard we commend our fellow BRICS partner India for hosting the special Session of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Mumbai and Delhi in October last year. We furthermore welcome the Delhi Declaration on countering the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes at the special session of the CTC of the UNSC.

 

Excellencies,

 

BRICS must continue to prioritise regional and continental peace, stability, security and development as the main components towards contributing to a sustainable peaceful and just global order based on international law. In this regard we should support the need to achieve an enduring and mutually acceptable political solution to the question of Western Sahara in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions. Accordingly, we must express our support for the full implementation of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which will ultimately address one of the remaining decolonisation issues on the African Continent.

 

Excellencies,

 

In conclusion, the importance of addressing conflict and security concerns through dialogue and inclusive consultations in a coordinated and cooperative manner is a ‘’sine qou non’’ for a peaceful, secure and stable Middle East and North Africa. As the BRICS collective let us reaffirm our commitment to the basic principle of building peace, security and stability in the MENA region.

 

I thank you.

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

South Africa to host BRICS Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys on the Middle East and North Africa

South Africa will host and chair the Ninth Session of the Meeting of BRICS Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys responsible for the Middle East and North Africa from Monday, 24 April to Wednesday, 26 April 2023. The meeting will take place in Cape Town.

 

The meeting forms part of a series of activities leading up to the BRICS Annual Heads of State Summit, to be held in August 2023 in Gauteng.

 

The Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys meeting in Cape Town will discuss, amongst other issues, the Middle East Peace Process as well as developments in the Gulf States, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Western Sahara and Yemen.

 

The MENA are regions that have had rich civilisations, cultures and traditions since ancient times, contributing positively to advancements in various facets of life, including science, arts, culture and politics.

 

Today, this region is home to more than 500 million inhabitants who live in countries that are heterogeneous in terms of territorial size and levels of development. The region is now at a critical juncture in its history, as its people struggle to contain and resolve persistent conflict, address the challenges of terrorism and extremism.

 

The media are invited as follows:

 

Meeting of Special Envoys

 

Date: Monday, 24 April 2023
Time: 09h00
Venue: Century City Conference Centre, 4 Energy Ln, Century City, Cape Town

 

Meeting of Deputy Ministers:

 

Date: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Time: 09h00
Venue: Century City Conference Centre, 4 Energy Ln, Century City, Cape Town

 

Members of the media interested in covering the meeting are requested to send the following information to Patience Mtshali, MtshaliP@dirco.gov.za.

 

  • Full Names
  • ID/ Passport Number
  • Name of media house
  • Designation

 

Enquiries: Nelson Kgwete, 076 431 3078

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soupansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084