BRICS leaders convene in Johannesburg for Summit on global influence

Leaders of the BRICS nations, representing emerging economies that constitute about a quarter of global wealth, are gathering in Johannesburg starting Tuesday for a summit aimed at expanding the alliance's influence and pushing for a shift in global politics.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the annual three-day summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the summit via video link.

After speculation about whether Putin would attend the BRICS summit, he decided last month not to go to Johannesburg due to an international arrest warrant issued against him.

In theory, South Africa would arrest Putin if he entered its territory, as it is a member of the International Criminal Court.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to Johannesburg in his stead.

BRICS nations collectively represent billions of people across three continents, with economies experiencing varying degrees of growth. They all share one common sentiment: a disdain for a global system they argue serves the interests of wealthy Western powers.

Chen Xiaodong, the Chinese ambassador to Pretoria, told reporters on Friday, "The traditional global governance system has become dysfunctional and inadequate."

He added that BRICS countries "have increasingly become a solid force in upholding international justice."

There is growing interest in the alliance, with at least 40 countries expressing a desire to join, including 23 nations that have submitted formal membership applications.


Anil Sooklal, South Africa's representative in the BRICS group, told Agence France-Presse on Friday that one reason countries are aligning to join the bloc is due to the "highly polarized world we are living in, which has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, forcing countries to take sides."

He added that "southern countries don't want to be told by anyone who to support, how to act, and how to run their sovereign affairs. They are strong enough now to assert their positions."

According to Sooklal, BRICS nations offer hope to states looking to redraw the "architecture" of the world. He continued, "The main markets are now in the south of the world (...) but we're still on the periphery in terms of making global decisions."

BRICS was officially launched in 2009.

During the summit, officials from around 50 other countries will participate in the "Friends of BRICS" program, held at a convention center in Sandton, Johannesburg.

This year's BRICS summit carries the theme "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Development."

In the view of Stephen Grubbs from the Africa-Russia Project at the South African Institute of International Affairs, the summit takes place at a "critical juncture."

He explained that the current multilateral system is under pressure.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated at a meeting of the ruling African National Congress in Johannesburg on Saturday, "We are going to have a wonderful summit."

According to Ramaphosa, the presence of such a large number of world leaders "demonstrates South Africa's influence and impact" on the world stage.

However, experts closely monitoring BRICS are not overly optimistic about the summit's outcomes.

Grubbs said, "I don't think the summit will yield those dramatic results because the power still lies with Western countries. China is on the rise, but it's not the dominant power just yet."

BRICS now represents 23% of global GDP, 42% of the world's population, and over 16% of global trade.



AFP