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South African foreign minister says BRICS to focus on people-to-people relations

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane outlined four major economic achievements of BRICS in Brazil

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Maite Emily Nkoana Mashabane EPA/Stephanie Lecocq

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Maite Emily Nkoana Mashabane

© EPA/Stephanie Lecocq

PRETORIA, July 18. /Alexander Nechayev for ITAR-TASS/. BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa reached major economic decisions at the summit in Brazil and at the next meeting in Russia in 2015 should consider expanding people-to people relations, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.

"As we go to Ufa in Russia [the next BRICS summit will be held in Russia in 2015] we concluded that time has come for us to start involving our own people within BRICS so that it is not only the forum of governments, but a people's centre," she told ITAR-TASS upon returning from Brazil.

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