PRETORIA, September 8. /TASS/. South Africa sees BRICS as a leader of the global economy and a reformer of the system of international relations, the republic’s president Cyril Ramaphosa said at the BRICS summit held online.
"BRICS countries should play a leadership role in strengthening the new multilateral world system and be the engine of the global economy," he said. "South Africa will support BRICS initiatives to strengthen the economies of member states and the global South. We also support the reforms proposed by BRICS members to enhance the sustainability of the international multilateral system," the president added.
The modern world is facing unprecedented challenges that affect trade and economy, politics and security, Ramaphosa said. "The rise of armed conflicts around the world, acute geopolitical tensions, environmental disasters, the spread of trade wars and persisting underdevelopment, all this threatens the security and economic well-being of humanity. This is why the BRICS countries should play a decisive role in strengthening the multilateral system and reforming multilateral institutions," he noted.
Global trade should become one of areas of application of BRICS countries’ joint efforts, the president said. "South Africa firmly believes that the multilateral trading system based on the World Trade Organization and the United Nations must be preserved until all member states are able to achieve their development goals," he said.
The African continent is currently in a phase of economic, social and political upswing, Ramaphosa noted. "Africa is very rich, the population is growing, the potential of the continent is huge and has not yet been fully exploited," he said. "We see Africa as the future epicenter of world trade," the president emphasized.