On Monday, South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor, revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended invitations to the BRICS summit not only to the member nations but also to leaders from 67 other countries, primarily from Africa and the ‘Global South’.
Additionally, 20 international organization representatives have been invited. Of the broad invitee list, 34 countries have already confirmed their attendance.
Elaborating on the wide-ranging invitations, Pandor mentioned, “Supported by fellow BRICS leaders, President Ramaphosa has called upon 67 leaders from Africa and the broader Global South for specialized BRICS-Africa interactions and enhanced BRICS+ dialogues. As we approach the summit, we’ve secured attendance confirmations from a diverse group of 34 countries from the Global South.”
In a video address released on YouTube, Minister Pandor further shared that the UN Secretary-General, along with delegates from several other international bodies, will grace the summit. However, in a move that has garnered attention, French President Emmanuel Macron has not received an invitation.
Scheduled from 22nd to 24th August in Johannesburg, the BRICS summit will be graced by the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and host South Africa. Representing Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will join via a video link.
