South Africa dismissed earlier media speculations as “rumours” that the Indian leader will not be present at the meeting….reports Asian Lite News
The South African government has confirmed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s physical presence in the next BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg from August 22, dismissing earlier media speculations as “rumours” that the Indian leader will not be present at the meeting.
During a press briefing about the preparations for the 15th edition of the summit, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor said that the leaders of Brazil, China, India and hosts South Africa will participate in a range of discussions.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to participate virtually, due to a warrant from the International Criminal Court which would have obliged South Africa to arrest him if he came in person.
South Africa is ready to host the much-anticipated 15th BRICS summit, Pandor has said.
“President Ramaphosa has confirmed South Africa’s readiness to host the 15th BRICS summit in person, in Sandton, Johannesburg. The president has therefore invited 67 leaders from Africa and the Global South to attend the BRICS-Africa outreach and BRICS Plus dialogues,” Pandor said on Monday while briefing the media about the country’s preparations for the summit, which will be held on August 22-24, Xinhua news agency reported.
The leaders invited to attend the summit cover all the continents and regions of the Global South, Pandor said.
South Africa will host the summit under the theme “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
During the summit, it will host the BRICS Business Forum, the BRICS Leaders Retreat and the 15th BRICS Summit Plenary, among others, according to Pandor.
“BRICS leaders are expected to discuss opportunities for realizing the full potential of BRICS for inclusive global economic recovery and sustainable development and strengthening each other,” she said.
The BRICS is an acronym for five emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2023, taking over from China.
Recently, India’s Minister Mansukh Mandaviya complimented South Africa’s initiatives for prioritizing the agenda of Universal Health Coverage and said that its BRICS “initiative is aligned with India’s G20 priorities.”
Addressing the BRICS Health Minister’s Meeting, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare said, “South Africa’s BRICS initiative is aligned with India’s G20 priorities including on health emergency management, medical countermeasures and most specifically Digital Health innovations and solutions which shall aid Universal Health Coverage and improve healthcare service delivery,” according to the statement released by Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
He complimented South Africa’s initiatives for prioritizing the agenda of Universal Health Coverage through the theme of “Bridging the Gap on Sustainable Health on the Road to UHC 2023”.