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South Africa takes over BRICS chairmanship

The South African Foreign Ministry’s spokesman told that the country planned to maintain the group’s effective activities during its 2023 chairmanship

PRETORIA, January 1. /TASS/. South Africa took over the chairmanship of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Sunday.

The South African Foreign Ministry’s spokesman told TASS that the country planned to maintain the group’s effective activities during its 2023 chairmanship. According to the official, South Africa’s priorities would include strengthening economic, political, social and cultural cooperation between the member states. According to South African Foreign Ministry Spokesman Clayson Monyela, the country will host a BRICS summit in August.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said earlier that the country would seek "to provide strategic leadership during the tenure as BRICS chair, in close consultation with other members, based on the chair’s agenda and priorities and previously agreed-upon decisions." She added that a summit, ministerial meetings and other events would be held based on consensus, and continuity in BRICS work would be ensured.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in turn, stated that the group needed to play an important role in leading the process of creating new decision-making mechanisms within the United Nations and other international organizations in order to establish a more inclusive, fair and stable world order.

Diplomatic sources in the South African capital told TASS that talks on BRICS expansion would take place in the coming months. Algeria, Argentina and Iran have already applied to join BRICS, while Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt have announced their interest in becoming the group’s members.

The BRIC group was created by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 and turned into BRICS after South Africa joined it in 2011.

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