President Cyril Ramaphosa will join fellow BRICS leaders in New Delhi on September 12–13 for the 18th summit of the bloc, hosted under India’s chairmanship.
The meeting will focus on strengthening cooperation among the expanded membership, with discussions on trade, investment, financial collaboration and reform of global governance institutions.
The summit takes place under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security” and comes amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as intensifying competition among major powers.
These tensions continue to shape global economic development and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
BRICS – comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and partner countries from Africa, Asia and South America – was established in 2009 as a platform for emerging economies to coordinate on trade, investment, and political reform.
The grouping has since expanded its agenda to include financial cooperation, institutional reform and advocacy for the interests of the Global South.
Ramaphosa is expected to push for stronger intra‑BRICS trade and investment, industrialisation and greater support for African infrastructure projects aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Collectively, BRICS now represents over half the world’s population and 40 percent of global gross domestic product.
The summit will test the bloc’s ability to balance internal cooperation with external pressures, as leaders seek to position BRICS as a counterweight to traditional global institutions.
JN/APA