First BRICS Sherpa meeting of the year opens in South Africa

The first meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas began on Wednesday as part of South Africa's presidency of the group this year. It takes place in northern South Africa's Limpopo province and will last for two days.

"Our task is to monitor on a daily basis the preparatory work of BRICS, especially the group's summit to be held next August in South Africa under the presidency of President Cyril Ramaposa. The task of the Sherpas is to create all the conditions for the success of the summit," said Ambassador-at-large for Asia and BRICS to the South African Foreign Ministry, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa, Anil Sooklal.

For his part, speaking on behalf of the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zane Dangor, Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said the BRICS participants had a big and important job ahead of them. 

"South Africa, as the BRICS chair, is aware of the enormity of the task ahead of it. In a world of geopolitical divisions and unprecedented challenges, BRICS is a leader in an emerging international order that will be more fair, inclusive and representative." he stressed.

The theme highlights the enduring value of BRICS as a partnership between leading emerging markets and developing countries, providing an impetus for global growth, sustainable development and the inclusion of the global South in the global system.

The 15th BRICS summit will be held in Durban, South Africa, at the end of August this year.

The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China first met on the margins of the UN General Assembly in 2006, launching BRICS cooperation. Later, in April 2011, South Africa participated for the first time in the third BRICS summit held in Sanya, China.

South Africa has declared the BRICS-Africa partnership to accelerate growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism as the main theme of its presidency. South Africa has scheduled 117 BRICS meetings this year, including 20 at the ministerial level.

In 2013, the fifth annual BRICS summit was held in Durban, South Africa. It was attended by the heads of state of the five participating countries, as reprted by ANI, a partner of TV BRICS.

Photo: istockphoto.com