Orchestra 
DIGITAL WORLD
BRICS+ Media Centre 
MODERN RUSSIAN 
The Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
The G20 foreign ministers will meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 20-21 February. This is a landmark event not only for South Africa, but also for the entire African continent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
She noted that South Africa would be hosting a G20 event for the first time. According to the diplomat, the Russian delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is scheduled to have a number of contacts with his colleagues. It is expected that most of the G20 participants, as well as a wide range of invited states and international organisations will be represented at a similar level.
"At the meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, topical issues of integrity and effective functioning of the world economic system will be considered. The priorities set by the South Africans are designed to stimulate economic growth, reduce inequality and imbalances, and ensure fair access to finance for countries of the Global South"
Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
She added that Lavrov will give a detailed analysis of the international situation in his speech. According to Zakharova, the Russian side will ‘reaffirm the course for preserving the central role of the UN in world affairs’ and will also call for maintaining the open nature of the world economy. The Russian Foreign Minister will pay special attention to the interaction of countries in BRICS, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), as well as the Russian initiative of the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
South Africa assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2024. According to the President of the Republic Cyril Ramaphosa, among the country's main priorities for this period are strengthening support for the states of the Global South, increasing access to development finance and adapting to climate change.
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
-
![]()
Society06.08.26South African President opens hospital serving 240,000 residents in country's north-east -
![]()
Society06.08.26International Arctic expedition brings together students from 22 countries for North Pole science mission -
![]()
Society03.08.26UNESCO adds Chinese migratory bird sanctuary to World Natural Heritage List -
![]()
Society02.08.26BRICS News Digest for the previous week -
![]()
Society01.08.26UAE advances heritage preservation with major archaeological restoration programme -
![]()
Society31.07.26Photo exhibition dedicated to 25th Anniversary of SCO opens in Bishkek
-
![Sergey Lavrov]()
Sergey LavrovRussian Foreign Minister"A Joint Statement of the Foreign Ministers has been adopted. It provides a clear and principled assessment of the situation on the international stage and outlines the tasks that will be addressed in accordance with previous decisions by heads of state and governments. No one doubts that additional documents on sectoral areas of cooperation will be developed ahead of the SCO summit in Bishkek. Energy, artificial intelligence, healthcare and a number of other areas were also mentioned" -
![Nitin Gadkari]()
Nitin GadkariIndia's Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways"Our resolution has just been passed. It is very important as far as the BRICS countries are concerned, which cover 40 per cent of the world's population. We are committed to the futuristic development of the transport sector, to create cooperation, coordination and communication between the stakeholders. This resolution indicates a lot of new technology and innovation in the transport sector. It covers the road sector, railways, aviation and water transport" -
![Anutin Charnvirakul]()
Anutin CharnvirakulPrime Minister of Thailand"Russia has been a trusted friend of Thailand for over a century. […] Next year, we will mark the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. We will commemorate this important milestone with high-level exchanges, thereby reaffirming our shared commitment to an even stronger partnership for the benefit of our peoples"
