Fellow South Africans,

I would like to address you this evening on South Africa’s foreign policy in the light of our country being the host of the 15th BRICS Summit.

I would also like us to understand and appreciate the significance of this gathering for our country and the African continent.

A day ahead of the Summit, we will receive President Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China on his fourth state visit to South Africa.

This BRICS Summit and the State Visit by President Xi Jinping, as well as the many bilateral engagements we will have with President Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Prime Minister Modi of India and many other heads of state on the sidelines of the Summit, have a bearing on our relationships with other countries and South Africa’s place in the world.

To understand why these relations are so important for our country and its people, we need to understand the principles and the values that shape our foreign policy and inform our international relations.

Before the dawn of democracy in 1994, the apartheid South African state was a pariah in the international community, condemned for committing a crime against humanity.

The foreign policy of apartheid South Africa was defined by coercion, destabilisation and military aggression.

Since the advent of democracy, South Africa’s foreign policy has been based on what our forebears inscribed in the Freedom Charter in 1955, when they declared that:

“South Africa shall be a fully independent state which respects the rights and the sovereignty of all nations; South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation – not war”.

This foreign policy approach is also a product of the efforts of leaders such as the late Oliver Tambo who mounted a vigorous worldwide campaign to secure global support for our just struggle against apartheid.

This put South Africa on the global map in relation to the interests of its people whilst the world condemned its apartheid rulers.

Indeed, our foreign policy is a matter that is vital to our progress as a nation.

Through stronger relations with other countries, manifested through investment and trade relations, we can grow our economy, create more opportunities for new businesses and create jobs.

South Africa’s foreign policy aims to promote our National Interest based on the protection and promotion of our national sovereignty and constitutional order.

It is also aimed at improving the well-being, safety and prosperity of our citizens, and the achievement of a better Africa and world.

The key pillars of our foreign policy include the promotion of human rights, peace and stability and the strengthening of trade and investment ties with other countries.

The foreign policy stance we have taken since the advent of democracy has positioned South Africa as a reliable and influential partner on our continent and in the world.

This has enabled our country to have friendly and valuable relations with countries around the world at political, diplomatic, trade, investment, sporting, social and many other levels.

It is these principles that guide our participation in BRICS.

Together, the members of BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – make up a quarter of the global economy, they account for a fifth of global trade and are home to more than 40 per cent of the world’s population.

BRICS as a formation plays an important role in the world due to its economic power, market potential, political influence and development cooperation.

Yet the value of BRICS extends beyond its sheer size.

BRICS countries can collectively shape global dynamics, and acting together, have the potential to drive significant changes in the world economy and international relations.

Together, the BRICS members have used their collective voice to call for a world that is more equitable, balanced and governed by an inclusive system of global governance.

Being a BRICS member has created positive opportunities for South Africa.

It has enabled our country to have a strategic relationship with China.

Based on the strategic relationship between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China we will be signing several agreements during President Xi’s State visit.

We have steadily strengthened trade and investment ties with other BRICS countries alongside collaboration in areas like development, skills, technology, security and innovation.

South Africa has benefited from the New Development Bank, which was established by the BRICS countries in 2015.

Our country has been funded by the bank in several infrastructure projects to the value of R100 billion in sectors such as roads, water and energy.

South Africa has always championed the interests of Africa within BRICS.

To further advance the African development agenda, more than 30 Heads of State and Government from across Africa will be attending the summit.

We want to build a partnership between BRICS and Africa so that our continent can unlock opportunities for increased trade, investment and infrastructure development.

There are great opportunities for other BRICS countries to participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area by locating production and services in various countries on the African continent, including our own, by partnering with local companies and entrepreneurs.

The 15th BRICS Summit will discuss a number of issues including the important issue of the possible expansion of the membership of BRICS.

More than 20 countries have formally applied to join BRICS and several others have expressed an interest in becoming part of the BRICS family.

South Africa supports the expansion of the membership of BRICS.

The value of BRICS extends beyond the interests of its current members.

For its efforts to be more effective, BRICS needs to build partnerships with other countries that share its aspirations and perspectives.

An expanded BRICS will represent a diverse group of nations with different political systems that share a common desire to have a more balanced global order.

In addition to the other African leaders in attendance, we will also be welcoming leaders from several countries of the Global South.

These include countries from the Caribbean and South America, from the Middle East, from West Asia, South Asia and South-East Asia.

This BRICS Summit is particularly important as it is being held as the world is confronted by fundamental challenges that are bound to determine the course of international events for years to come.

Our world has become increasingly complex and fractured as it is increasingly polarised into competing camps.

Multilateralism is being replaced by the actions of different power blocs, all of which we trade with, invest with, and whose technology we use.

It is for this reason that South Africa continues to advocate for an open and rules-based global governance, trade, financial and investment system. It must be a system that does not depend on the exercise of power or unilateralism, but by the advancement of the interests of the peoples of the world.

It is in this rule base system that we seek to advance African prosperity and industrialisation. We seek to change the rules to be fairer but ultimately, we want to promote an open system of economic and political relations.

Amid all these challenges, Africa remains at the centre of our foreign policy.

We are firmly committed to strengthening the African Union so that it increases its capacity to support the achievement of greater integration on the continent.

We are working towards the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is set to eliminate trade barriers, boost intra African trade and achieve prosperity for all of Africa.

It will also accelerate manufacturing and industrial capacity on our continent.

The vibrant trading Africa we seek to build depends on Africa being stable and peaceful.

For Africa to thrive, we must silence the guns.

We continue to work within the African Union to end several ongoing conflicts on the continent and restore constitutional and democratic government to countries that have recently experienced coups.

South Africa is directly involved in a number of efforts to bring peace to Africa.

We are currently involved in supporting the people of Mozambique and the DRC to ensure that there is peace and stability in their countries.

The administration I have the honour to lead has been devoted to attracting greater trade and investment into South Africa.

Every visit we make to countries on our continent and across the world and every visit by heads of state from other countries focuses on strengthening economic ties.

When a foreign leader visits our country for a state visit, they are usually accompanied by a business delegation. We are usually accompanied by South African companies when we travel to other countries.

The Business Forums that are held during these visits result in greater trade, investment and business partnerships.

To further strengthen economic ties between African countries and the United States, South Africa is inviting more than 30 African trade ministers and senior US Administration and Congressional representatives to the next forum of the African Growth and Opportunity Act – AGOA – scheduled for November this year.

As part of our ongoing relationship with the countries of the European Union, we will hold the European Union-South Africa Summit later this year in South Africa to foster our investment and trade relations.

Recent trade statistics indicate the success of all our international links.

Within the first three months of this year, we exported R450 billion worth of goods in the mining, manufacturing, and agricultural sectors. Our biggest exports were to China, followed by the United States, Germany, Japan, and then India.

Exports to other African countries account for around a quarter of the value of all our exports.

Our tourism industry is recovering well from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 4 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, almost twice as many arrivals as in the same period last year.

Companies across the globe have established new or expanded ventures in our country in sectors as diverse as energy, mining, vehicle production, the creative sector, manufacturing and many others.

For every rand we attract, jobs are created and sustained.

Our country is committed to a policy of non-alignment.

We have resisted pressure to align ourselves with any one of the global powers or with influential blocs of nations.

During the ‘Cold War’, the stability and sovereignty of many African countries was undermined because of their alignment with the major powers.

This experience has convinced us of the need to seek strategic partnerships with other countries rather than be dominated by any other country.

While some of our detractors prefer overt support for their political and ideological choices, we will not be drawn into a contest between global powers.

Instead, our country strives to work with all countries for global peace and development.

It is for this reason that South Africa is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

Our decision not to align with any one of the global powers does not mean that we are neutral on matters of principle and national interest.

Our non-aligned position exists alongside our active support for the struggles of the oppressed and marginalised in different parts of the world.

We have always believed that the freedom we won – and the international solidarity from which we benefited – imposes a duty on us is to support the struggles of those who continue to experience colonialism and racial oppression.

That is why we will continue to support the struggles of the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.

We are fully committed to the articles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

Most recently, we participated in the African initiative to seek peace in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Through this African Peace Initiative our country continues to be involved in processes to ensure that children who were removed from their homes in Ukraine are returned to their families and that prisoners of war are exchanged.

We continue to be involved in the talks regarding the reopening of the Black Sea to facilitate the flow of grain.

We firmly believe that dialogue, mediation and diplomacy is the only viable path to end the current conflict and achieve a durable peace.

We support the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states and peoples.

In the midst of the grave challenges facing humanity, we are determined that a reformed and representative United Nations must be at the centre of global affairs.

Our support for the United Nations exists alongside our firm belief that this premier multilateral institution needs genuine reform to make it more democratic, representative and efficient.

The United Nations Security Council must be transformed into a more inclusive, more effective body that is able to ensure peace and security.

South Africa, as a member of the community of nations, will continue to play a constructive role in world affairs.

In 2025, South Africa will assume the presidency of the G20 group of nations.

This will be the first time that G20 meetings will be hosted in Africa.

The G20 Summit in 2025 will be an opportunity for South Africa to take a lead on critical challenges facing the global community.

South Africa’s approach to foreign relations is to seek increased collaboration, to secure greater trade opportunities and increased investment, and to work closely with partners across the globe to entrench peace and democracy.

As we continue to define our place in the world, as we advance the needs of our people, we will continue to mobilise all our moral, political and economic strength on the side of peace and development for all of humanity.

We will continue our efforts to give effect to the call of the Freedom Charter that “There shall be peace and friendship”.

As the week begins tomorrow, the streets of our country will be hubs of activity as visitors from various countries will be our guests.

Let us welcome them and give them the warmth and hospitality that we are known for.

A number of them may choose to stay for a few days beyond the summit to visit the various beautiful parts of our country.

I call on all of us to show them the very best of South African Ubuntu.

I thank you.

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

As the operational arm of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) led by the South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the State Security Agency (SSA), takes this opportunity to assure the nation that it is satisfied with its plans to secure the BRICS Summit which will be held from next week Tuesday, 22nd of August to Thursday, 24th August 2023.

Your Excellency, Minister Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education, of the Russian Federation, and the members of your delegation,

Your Excellency, Minister Wang Zhigang, Minister of Science and Technology, of the People’s Republic of China, and the members of your delegation,

Your Excellency, Deputy Minister Inacio Arruda, Vice Minister of Science and Technology for Social Development, of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the members of your delegation,

Dr SK Varshney, Head of International Cooperation in the Department of Science and Technology, of the Republic of India, and the members of your delegation,

Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General in the Department of Science and Innovation, of the Republic of South Africa, and the members of the South African delegation,

One of the strategic objectives of our annual Ministerial Meeting is to provide an opportunity for a high-level exchange on science, technology and innovation policy developments in our respective countries, and for us to share information with each other, on priority investment areas, as well as national progress in the implementation of BRICS partnership initiatives.

I am, thus, delighted to provide you with the South African input for this important agenda item, which enables a sharing of experience and expertise, true to the BRICS spirt of progress through cooperation and learning from each other. These exchanges will also enrich our planning for new cooperation initiatives, which can deliver greater strategic impact.

The year 2022 witnessed an historic milestone in science policy development in South Africa with the adoption by the South African Cabinet under the leadership of His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, of our new Decadal, or ten-year Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Although prepared by my department, it is not only a plan for the Department of Science and Innovation, or for Government alone, but for all of South Africa.

Through a number of policy, governance and funding interventions, the Plan seeks to enhance our national consensus, coordination and cooperation, including through enhanced Public-Private Partnerships, to put science, technology and innovation at the heart of South Africa’s growth and development agenda.

This new national commitment to work together will be embodied in an Innovation and Skills Compact, to be adopted by government, business, civil society, science and academic leaders at our Science, Technology and Innovation Plenary Meeting, to be chaired by President Ramaphosa.

The Compact will notably include commitments to undertake amongst others a regulatory reform to create a more enabling policy environment for innovation in South Africa; and forge a closer collaboration between higher education and training bodies, and employers, to ensure that skills development better corresponds to the needs of our economy.

Funding including increased investment by business in Research & Development (R&D) and the better coordination between different ministries of our government funding of R&D will be another important part of the Compact – as will be a commitment to use public procurement to support innovation and entrepreneurship.

Our plan does not identify priorities scientific disciplines or technology platforms in their own right, but instead focus on the collective and holistic response of South African science and innovation in a trans- and multi-disciplinary manner on key societal challenges confronting South Africa.

This approach notably foresees a central role by the social sciences and humanities, which remains a priority investment area.

Our commitment to support the long-term well-being of South African science, including through investment in the basic sciences, also remains strong as evidenced by our continued significant investment in astronomy as part of South Africa’s hosting of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope.

Earlier this week, the BRICS Young Scientist Forum provided invaluable intellectual input for the implementation of the Decadal Plan with discussions focused on some of the societal challenges prioritised in the Plan, such as climate change and environmental sustainability, the future of education, and the role of technology in shaping the future of society.

Our Annual BRICS Young Innovators Prize also addressed priority themes of the Plan such as the unlocking of new sources of economic growth and increasing the competitiveness of our industries.

These challenges and priorities are of course shared by all BRICS partners, hence our choice of them as themes. I must say that we look forward to deepening our collaboration in all of them.

Dear Colleagues,

May I also briefly share with you developments in three other priority areas, in which we are keen to strengthen BRICS collaboration, namely vaccine manufacturing, the hydrogen economy and the marine sciences.

The Decadal Plan proposes a new dedicated programme on innovation for a healthy South African population. This programme will focus on both physical and mental health, build on our existing successes in for example the fight against infectious diseases such as HIV-AIDS, while also reinforcing our pandemic preparedness.

In this context, developing South Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities will be a priority investment area. Our objective is to develop a viable local vaccine manufacturing industry in South Africa, which will notably to address African concerns regarding of security of supply.

In this regard we are already working with the World Health Organisation through South Africa’s hosting of mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub, but are also eager to work with BRICS partners, notably leveraging opportunities of our BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre.

The Decadal Plan also identifies innovation for energy security as a priority and it is within this context that my department is leading the implementation of South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap, which also seeks to exploit South Africa’s unique comparative advantage, the endowment of 75% of global platinum metals group reserves.

We have made excellent progress in developing new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and are keen to join forces with BRICS partners in this enterprise.

Opportunities abound in areas such as the decarbonisation of transport and the production of green hydrogen, including as part of a dedicated Platinum Valley, spatial and economic development initiative.

Dear Colleagues,

Our meeting in the city of Gqeberha on South Africa’s Indian Ocean seaboard, is also to emphasize our commitment to the marine sciences and the development of a Blue Economy.

I am therefore delighted that many of your delegations have visited or will be vising the Ocean Sciences Campus of the local Nelson Mandela University.

The Campus is a hub for pioneering transdisciplinary, ocean sciences research, which promotes sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities, while preserving marine biodiversity and ecological integrity. It is a domain I am convinced offer exciting opportunities for BRICS cooperation.

The Decadal Plan also identifies science diplomacy as a crucial, cross-cutting strategic priority, as indeed international cooperation is vital for South African science and innovation to successfully respond to the needs of our society.

Cooperation with partners in the Global South and strengthening multilateralism and solidarity through our BRICS science, technology and innovation partnership is therefore a priority of the highest order.

It is therefore a privilege and honour for South Africa to have led our cooperation over the past year and I am looking forward to a report from our senior officials later this morning on the progress achieved and on the future plans proposed.

In order to ensure that South Africa’s Chairship of BRICS in 2023 leaves a lasting legacy also in science and innovation, I would like to commit that in addition to our ongoing support for instruments such as the BRICS Framework Programme and our various science and technology thematic working groups, we will be advancing a number of additional initiatives.

This will include organising in December 2023 the occasion of our annual Science Forum South Africa, South Africa’s biggest public science event, a first BRICS Conference on Technology Foresight hosted by our National Advisory Council on Innovation.

Secondly, we will be supporting technical exchanges to deepen BRICS cooperation in the strategic area of indigenous knowledge systems, with a special focus on research, innovation and training for the responsible use of natural medicine.

I would like to conclude with a special appeal, dear colleagues, and that is for us to honour the commitment our governments made in 2015 when signing the Memorandum of Understanding on Science, Technology and Innovation, in its Article 2 (d), which set the objective to “promote, where appropriate, joint BRICS science, technology and innovation partnerships with other strategic actors in the developing world.”

In this context I would specifically like to appeal that we explore appropriate partnerships in support of the Pan-African science agenda.

As you are aware the South African Government’s theme for our BRICS Chairship in 2023 is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism” and our Ministerial Meeting has as theme: “BRICS and Africa: Enabling inclusive, sustainable development in a changing world through knowledge partnerships.”

I would therefore like to invite all BRICS partners to join forces with South Africa, whether bilaterally or multilaterally, in advancing the Pan-African agenda for science and innovation, consistent with BRICS spirit of solidarity and our commitment to development.

I believe that finding appropriate mechanism for enabling cooperation and possible joint programmes between BRICS and African funders of research and innovation will be a strategic game-changer for Pan African science funding.

In this regard, I would like to announce three concrete interventions I have asked my officials to take, to prepare such future cooperation:

• Firstly, under the forthcoming BRICS Framework Programme thematic call for proposals on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, we will be availing additional funding to South African participants to also work with partners from other African countries and thus to introduce them to BRICS cooperation

• Secondly, we will be providing funding to the South African participants in current BRICS Framework Programme projects, to facilitate networking between BRICS researchers and counterparts in other African countries, again with the aim of building BRICS-Africa networks, and

• Thirdly we will be organising a symposium later this year between BRICS funding agencies and their African counterparts to consider possible future joint funding initiatives.

Dear Colleagues,

We are meeting here in our Eastern Cape Province, the home province of democratic South Africa’s first President, our cherished Madiba. President Nelson Mandela famously said: “There is little favourable to be said about poverty, but it was often an incubator of true friendship. Many people will appear to befriend you when you are wealthy, but precious few will do the same when you are poor. If wealth is a magnet, poverty is a kind of repellent. Yet, poverty often brings out the true generosity in others.”

In this regard, South Africa will always be grateful for the loyal and unwavering friendship and solidarity afforded to us by the peoples of Brazil, Russia, India and China, during our long struggle for freedom, and subsequently your consistent support since 1994 for development of our country, and our ongoing fight against poverty, inequality and unemployment. We deeply value the contribution of our cooperation in science and innovation to make South Africa a better country.

I therefore have every confidence that our BRICS partners will join us in an effort, within the spirit of generosity President Mandela spoke about, to also develop science and innovation capacities across Africa. This will be a lasting contribution of our shared objective to creating a better future for all, ensuring no-one is left behind.

I look forward to the rest of our discussion and our future cooperation.

I thank you.

ISSUED BY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

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
0084

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

Honourable Minister,
Leadership of SABYA,
Academics of Tshwane University of Technology & the Confucius Institute,
The CEOs of the NYDA, FP & MSETA,
Participants, Entrepreneurs & Innovators,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) as the South African BRICS Sherpa it gives me immense pleasure to deliver a message of support on this auspicious occasion.

This summit is an important cog in the development, technology and innovation wheel of all our BRICS countries. It is also one of many important events in the run up to our BRICS Heads of State Summit which will be held in August this year.

DIRCO and the SA Government are therefore extremely proud that our youth have over the past decade taken the initiative to grasp the opportunities that are being created and the opportunities that still need to be created in this pillar of BRICS cooperation. This organisation (SABYA) and this BRICS Youth Summit is an example of such opportunities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our global challenges (socio-political, economic and environmental) today are complex, multifaceted and continuously evolving. In this regard our youth are key to addressing these challenges as the global drivers of technological disruption, change and innovation. The theme of this summit is timely and this summit must therefore be an example of our youth in all BRICS countries creating a platform for collaboration, integration, synergy and disruption in the field of science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. By ensuring collaboration, BRICS youth will benefit from the following, amongst others:

1. Funding and investment opportunities.
2. Access to new and promising markets.
3. Knowledge and expertise sharing.
4. Collaborative research and development.
5. Joint infrastructure development.

BRICS countries have much to gain by cooperating in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, science, and technology. By leveraging our unique strengths and resources, we can develop new solutions and approaches that benefit all of us and that are tailor-made for the realities of the global South.

The importance of cooperation between the BRICS countries in the fields of youth innovation and entrepreneurship cannot be overemphasised. As the world’s leading emerging economies, our five nations share a wealth of resources, expertise, and opportunities. By working together, our youth will be able to harness their collective energy and strengths in order to drive innovation and entrepreneurship to new heights befitting of the age we live in.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The youth of our nations are the future of our economies and societies. BRICS leadership firmly believe that you are the driving force behind innovation and entrepreneurship and that you have the potential to create positive change in our societies. By fostering a culture of scientific and technological development, innovation and entrepreneurship, you can address some of the most pressing social, political, environmental and economic challenges facing our world today including but not limited to creating new jobs, boosting economic growth and addressing climate change challenges in a sustainable fashion.

Our BRICS countries remains home to some of the world’s most talented and creative young people.  Our diverse cultural heritage, combined with access to cutting-edge technologies, creates a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. By leveraging these strengths, we can create new opportunities for young people to develop skills and contribute to the collective growth and development of all BRICS countries and beyond – this is the true meaning of a demographic dividend.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are critical to the success of any economy. It drives growth and competitiveness and creates new markets and opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Through clever cooperation, our youth can leverage their collective strengths to build a more vibrant and dynamic business environment that benefits all.

BRICS youth must create more spaces and platforms such as this summit to share knowledge and expertise and learn from each other to create new opportunities for collaboration. BRICS youth must also pool their collective resources to invest in innovative projects and initiatives that benefit all our BRICS societies. In this regard there are several BRICS projects, funding instruments, platforms and networks that are already in existence which, such as:

1. The BRICS Innovation Fund.
2. The BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation Framework Programme.
3. The BRICS Technology Transfer Centre.
4. The BRICS Start-up Summit.

Overall, these funding agencies, platforms, instruments and organisations are essential in promoting a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, science, and technology in the BRICS countries. By providing funding, technical support, and platforms for collaboration, these organisations help to create an environment that is conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship and essential for economic growth and development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Innovation is at the heart of progress, and the youth of BRICS countries have a crucial role to play in driving it forward in order to address transversal challenges of our times such as climate change, environmental degradation, global peace and security, the unequal global political governance, economic and financial order, poverty, inequality in all its forms, unemployment and social injustice.

A good example of this was our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlighted the importance of innovation, international cooperation, collaboration and functional coherence amongst BRICS partners. We were able to move away from a state of fragmentation to a state of integration, synchrony, convergence and synergy.

During this period, we experienced the power of technology particularly the progress made in ICT infrastructural development and we have experienced the importance of innovation through the entire value chain from vaccine development to vaccine delivery.

As young people, you must maintain the momentum built during this period and continue to harness and channel your energies towards finding solutions that can help our societies recover and thrive in our post-pandemic era. By working together, the youth of our countries can build a more equitable, peaceful, secure and sustainable global south and world that benefits all our people, regardless of race, gender, religion, culture and socio-economic background.

In conclusion, as you deliberate and explore opportunities at this summit, let me remind you of the words of the great Pan African revolutionary Amilcar Cabral who said: “Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children. . .”.

With these wise words I implore upon you to approach the summit with the twin principles of both creative disruption and pragmatism when dealing with our common challenges.

I thank you.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

Excellency, Mr Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of eThekwini,
Members of the Mayoral Council of eThekwini,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

South Africa took over as Chair of BRICS on 1 January 2023 in a difficult national and global economic environment.

Globally, the conflict in Ukraine and the West’s unilateral sanctions, have battered economies that were struggling to recover from the COVID pandemic. With Russia being the world’s third-largest oil producer, second-largest natural gas producer and a top producer of steel and wheat, the conflict has led to substantial increases in food and energy prices that have disproportionately impacted us in the global South. Nationally, load shedding is worsening the situation with devastating impact on the economy, closing many businesses and worsening disruptions to the rail and logistics networks that should be supporting the trading economies, particularly in KZN.

As government, we have the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan with detailed interventions to address our energy crisis with the aim of fixing Eskom, fundamentally transforming the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security and enabling and accelerating investment in the energy sector.

It is clear that we cannot do this alone. At the January Lekgotla, President called on our BRICS partners to assist South Africa in our recovery.

This is line with our principled position to advance in partnership with others and is the central part of our theme as Chair of BRICS for 2023, namely “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism.”

Our theme reflects our vision of BRICS as a partnership of leading developing countries providing leadership, momentum and solutions for global growth, sustainable development, and inclusion of the global South in the world system.

The theme and priorities were developed through an inclusive national consultation process that included government departments and the South African chapters of the BRICS Business Council, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, BRICS Think Tanks Council and BRICS Civil Forum in order to align our BRICS priorities with South Africa’s national interests.

Our first priority responds to the significant transformational changes we are making in our economy, particularly in the energy sector. We therefore aim to “Develop a partnership towards an equitable Just Transition” This priority aims to find solutions to transformational energy change which will also improve people’s lives and livelihoods in the sectors that supported the old economy, such as mining.

Our other BRICS priorities are:

• Transforming Education and Skills Development for the Future

• Unlocking Opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Area

• Strengthening Post-Pandemic Socio-Economic Recovery and the Attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development

• Strengthening Multilateralism, including Working Toward Real Reform of Global Governance Institutions and Strengthening the Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace Processes.

BRICS countries are uniquely positioned to support South Africa’s energy recovery. BRICS countries contain almost half the world’s population and account for approximately 40% of the world’s energy consumption. As BRICS we are responsible for 48% of the world’s coal consumption, 22% of the world’s oil consumption and 13.5% of the world’s natural gas consumption.

While renewable energy consumption is only 16% at the moment, BRICS renewable energy consumption has been growing year by year driven by most BRICS members commitment to mitigating climate change and global for low carbon development.

BRICS countries are not only consumers of energy, as all members have substantial fossil fuels and available renewable energy resources. BRICS members account for 40% of the world’s coal reserves, 25% of the world’s natural gas reserves and 8% of the world’s oil reserves. In the renewable energy sector, solar power from South Africa, Brazil and India, wind power from Russia and China, as well as biomass from Brazil, all enjoy substantial resource advantages.

Within BRICS, China is the world’s largest coal producer with 50% of the world’s output in 2020 and India 10%. Russia produced 12% of the world’s oil and 16% of the world’s natural gas. Brazil is rich in biomass energy and its output for 25% of the world’s total biomass energy in 2020.

With our natural resources, BRICS countries are major role players in the global supply of energy and its dynamics. BRICS countries have developed similar energy policies to manage energy risks. BRICS countries have both expertise and technologies to use their energy resources to enhance energy security and cooperation.

BRICS recognised these complementarities and in 2020, BRICS adopted a Road Map for BRICS Energy Cooperation up to 2025 aimed at building a strategic partnership in energy cooperation. The Road Map is being implemented in phases.

The first phase is the research phase which started under South Africa’s Chairship of BRICS in 2018 with the establishment of the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform. The platform brings together experts, companies and research institutes to coordinate common interests of BRICS in research and development of innovative technology and policies, with seven studies being released to date at BRICS Ministers of Energy meetings. Last year, China presented an additional study on the development of renewable energy and smart grids in the BRICS countries. This year, Russia is leading a study on energy security. The roadmap also established the publication of the annual BRICS Energy Report.

During the second phase, BRICS countries will identify the needs and challenges to energy security and find areas where BRICS cooperation can provide solutions. The third phase aims at advancing mutually beneficial cooperation including exchange of best practice, use of BRICS advanced technology, as well as opportunities for trade and investment in each other’s economies. Of course, we are not waiting for this third phase before we work with our BRICS partners on energy solutions.

India is already South Africa’s biggest coal export market and brings in almost half of our total coal revenue. China is reopening opportunities for imports from South Africa, following its political fallout with Australia, previously an important coal source for them. China has substantial oil and gas trade with Russia, oil and gas cooperation with Brazil, a joint natural gas pipeline project with India as well as renewable energy trade with South Africa. South Africa is a pioneer in area of clean coal, in which India and China have an interest. The Russian state energy company Rosatom has signed an agreement with South Africa to construct small hydropower plants in Mpumalanga as a key component of South Africa’s energy security strategy.

Part of South Africa’s response to the energy crisis involves implementing a just transition to a low carbon economy. Climate change also poses considerable risks to jobs, businesses and the economy. We are among the most water-scarce countries in the world, and recent events here in KZN have shown that extreme weather events such as floods are occurring more often, with devastating impact on our infrastructure.

The response to the electricity crisis provides an opportunity to also mitigate our contribution to, and the risks from, climate change and adapt to a low carbon economy.

South Africa’s Just Transition Plan aims to significantly lower emissions of greenhouse gases and harnesses investments in new energy technologies, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient appliances. South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan which drives our energy policy therefore envisions that renewable solar and wind energy will generate almost 25% of our electricity by 2030. Coal, which currently accounts for 85% of South Africa’s electricity generation will drop below 60% in less than a decade.

The impact on communities reliant on coal extraction and production is an important element of the Just Transition as it aims to ensure that communities tied to high-emitting energy industries are not left behind and are provided with new skills and new economic and employment opportunities.

During South Africa’s Chairship of BRICS in 2013, we established the BRICS Business Council to strengthen and promote economic, trade, business and investment ties among the business communities of the BRICS countries. The BRICS Business Council also identifies problems and bottlenecks and recommends solutions to BRICS.

This year, under South Africa’s Chairship, the Council’s Energy and Green Economy Working Group is focused on concrete outputs on the Just Transition. The Council has developed an energy skills roadmap for South Africa which will be rolled out to the other BRICS countries. The skills roadmap identifies the skills available as well as the skills necessary and identifies training programmes as well as sponsors across the BRICS countries.

There are discussions on the possible establishment of a BRICS African Centre of Excellence on the Just Energy Transition which would support a network of researchers focused on technology, socio-economic, environmental, financial and other aspects of the Just Transition that would inform policy making in BRICS countries in collaboration with the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform.

The question is how to identify funding for investment in renewable energy. There is a lot of money available globally for renewable energy projects, with National Treasury estimating that there is 12 trillion dollars available from sources such as the Green Climate Fund. But developing countries struggle to access these funds because of the perceived risk of investing in a developing country. South Africa’s policy uncertainty and regulatory challenges have been cited as obstacles to South African investment opportunities, with other funders also banning financing and investment in coal for energy, even if it is clean coal.

India and China are able to source their own international finance for renewable energy by offering their own-currency Green Bonds known as Green Masala Bonds and Green Panda Bonds. The Green Panda Bond is issued by the BRICS New Development Bank.

The NDB is a multilateral development bank established by BRICS countries to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects. Sustainability is fundamental to the founding principles of the NDB, and the Bank aims to deliver transformative impact to BRICS member countries with a target of 40% of all the Bank’s loans funding projects mitigation and adaption for the effects of climate change by 2026.

South Africa and China have so far been the leading beneficiaries of sustainable financing from the NDB with respect to clean and renewable energy. South Africa is the beneficiary of 12 projects financed by the Bank to the value of 5.4 billion dollars. Five of these projects support the energy sector, with three of those funding renewable energy projects to the value of thirteen billion Rand.

Excellencies,

The opportunities for BRICS to support transformative change in our economy are obvious. As Chair of BRICS in 2023, our strategic vision is to harness our existing mutually beneficial BRICS cooperation to address issues of national interest and national concern for South Africa in a holistic and multi-disciplinary way. The depth and strength of our BRICS partnership allows us to bring multiple BRICS solutions to the table, including financing, trade, investment, industrialisation, skills development and training, research, development and innovation, as well as partnership with African countries and leading countries of the global South.

I thank you.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084

Dear Chairperson DG Lamati,
Distinguished delegates,
Esteemed guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to stand before you this evening as we bring to a close the First BRICS Employment Working Group meeting held here in Johannesburg, South Africa.

I hear that some of the delegations have already left for their countries. Therefore, we also thank them in absentia.

Over the past four days, we have had the privilege of engaging in fruitful discussions and exchanges, exploring ways to work together to create opportunities for our citizens and promote decent work for all.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time to attend this important event, which is one of many that our country will be hosting throughout the year until the LEMM in September 2023.

Your presence here has been invaluable, and your contributions have enriched our discussions and helped us to achieve our objectives.

The knowledge, expertise, and diverse perspectives you have brought to the table have been truly remarkable.

I have no doubt that the insights gained here will go a long way in shaping our efforts to tackle the employment challenges that confront our nations.

Furthermore, I would like to extend my appreciation to all of you for your support of the South African presidency of BRICS.

Your commitment to working with us towards our common goals has been unwavering, and your dedication to the BRICS partnership continues to inspire us.

Through our collective efforts, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our people, particularly in the areas of growing our economies, employment, job creation, and decent work.

As we conclude this gathering, I would like to take this opportunity to announce that South Africa looks forward to welcoming you once again for the Second BRICS Employment Working Group in May 2023.

As the Presidency, we will provide you with the meeting details in due course since we are making the final preparations and arrangements.

DG Lamati and the team have assured me that everything is in order and that we will have a splendid experience again.

We are committed to building on the progress that we have made during this first meeting, and we look forward to continuing our work towards achieving the goals set out in our joint action plan.

In closing, let me once again express my deep appreciation for your participation in this event.

Your presence here has been a testament to the strength and vitality of our partnership, and I am confident that together, we can achieve great things for the benefit of our people.

We wish you a safe journey home. Au bon voyage!

Thank you.​

ISSUED BY DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR

BRICS Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas,

Ambassadors,

Director-General Dangor,

Professor Sooklal,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good day to you all. It is my pleasure to welcome you to South Africa for the first BRICS Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa meeting of 2023.

How I wish I were with you at Mabula Game Lodge. I’m told that you’ve enjoyed a morning game drive and I trust that the African bush revealed all its many natural wonders to you. I believe that we should take good care of all animals and am fully committed to South Africa’s programmes for the protection of wild animals.

I hope that the lions behaved very well in front of you as senior BRICS diplomats and that if there were any challenge from a lion you were able to mediate that dispute and make sure there is peace in the wild.

Allow me to begin by expressing our deep appreciation for the leadership of China as Chair of BRICS in 2022. It was a challenging year on many fronts. Yet we saw our BRICS partnership overcome differences to provide global leadership, particularly in matters of interest to the global South as these issues are increasingly neglected by our other international partners.

As we Chair BRICS, we do so in a world with hidden fault lines revealing themselves. In fact, as many say, the globe has not been as fragmented as it is today for many, many decades. We face the impact of the pandemic eroding decades of development. We face geopolitical contestation which is very worryingly diverting attention from global challenges that all of us should be collaborating to address. We need to combat the effects of climate change. We need to help the African continent finally silence the guns. These are the challenges of the most desperate in the world. And these are the challenges we should all be addressing.

We hear predictions that say that the economic impacts of the pandemic, of the conflicts we see, and unilateral economic measures will only worsen this year and that we will see deepened social and political consequences. Of course, as BRICs we must find ways of addressing these emerging problems. I believe that not all is doom and gloom.

The Year of the Rabbit is auspicious for our Chairship as it heralds fresh starts, renewed hope and joyful reunions. Renewed hope is something that BRICS can offer to the world, to the international community, particularly the global South. BRICS can provide the leadership necessary to strengthen multilateralism, bring about meaningful reform and can also work together to drive a sustainable global economic recovery that benefits not only us, but the broader global South.

As BRICS we seek to address conflicts through diplomatic means, through negotiations under the auspices of the United Nation with the intent of creating a peaceful and harmonious world focused on cooperation rather than confrontation and conflict.

We intend to build on the momentum of 15 years of BRICS cooperation. Momentum which has seen our partnership evolve and expand its mandate beyond the narrow focus that brought us together and now includes cooperation across the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial, and social and people to people cooperation.

As BRICS, we will also build on our shared commitment to improving the lives and livelihoods of our people, of advancing the interests and developmental goals of the global South, and our founding vision of a more just, equitable and fair global political, economic, and financial landscape with increased representation and voice.

The significant interest in joining BRICS by many is a clear sign that BRICS has remained true to its values of strengthening multilateralism, driving reform as well as boosting global economic growth and stability. And it would appear that these characteristics are of great attractiveness to many nations in different parts of the world.

This is what led to our conclusion as the Cabinet of South Africa that our theme for 2023, would most appropriately be: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”.

Our theme and priorities reflect our foreign policy focus on advancing in partnership with others. We cannot leave the African continent and the global South behind. We intend to continue our outreach to the continent and leading members of the global South.

We look forward to welcoming you once more to South Africa for the 15th BRICS Summit from 22-24 August 2023. We will celebrate 10 years of the BRICS Business Council and BRICS Think Tanks Council. They have both added significant value to our partnership and have much more to offer us in aligning our policies and cooperation to the needs of our people, to communities and to businesses.

I thank you for the messages of support I have received from all of your countries as Chair. Over the next days, our officials will expand on their plans for 2023. We aim to not only hold the traditional meetings but will explore pragmatic ways to deliver tangible results on key BRICS priorities. We plan to work together with you to strengthen our proposals and bring them to fruition for mutual benefit.

As we move proceed together, I wish to convey my sincere appreciation for the commitment and effort of our Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas. You are the engine that drives our BRICS cooperation. The spirit of solidarity, respect and friendship that clearly prevails in your meetings lays a solid foundation for our cooperation at the political level and it allows our cooperation to stand the test of time and holds us together when the storms inevitably pass by.

Allow me to conclude by once more wishing you well in your deliberations which, I am confident, will bring renewed vigour and fresh energy to our partnership.

Enjoy your deliberations!

ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building

460 Soutpansberg Road

Rietondale

Pretoria

0084