Johnathan Paoli
THE 15th BRICS Summit is set to kick off on Tuesday with heads of state coming from across the continent and the world, to congregate at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The three-day event will see the leaders of the BRICS major emerging economies converge to discuss a plethora of issues, including possibly opening membership to an additional 20 countries.
Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, welcomed Cameroon Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, who landed at the OR Tambo International Airport, on Sunday afternoon.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera is already on home soil after Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, received him at the airport on Saturday.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa invited 67 leaders from Africa and the global South to attend the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogues.
Brazil President Luiz Inácio da Silva accompanied by his wife Rosangela da Silva also landed at the OR Tambo Airport on Monday morning, including former President Dilma Rousseff, the Chair of the BRICS New Development Bank.
United Arab Emirates President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived close to midnight on Monday.
The Chinese leader was received by President Ramaphosa, a procession of SA National Defence Force soldiers and local cultural performers upon his arrival close to midnight on Monday.
The Indian head of state, Narenda Modi, is expected to arrive on Tuesday morning, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the summit virtually.
The visit of the Indian and Chinese leaders remains interesting as it has been speculated about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between the two, which will be their first since the India-China border standoff began in May 2020.
UN secretary-general António Guterres has also confirmed his attendance at the Brics summit.
The attending leaders are hoping that the gathering will cement the bloc’s partnership but also benefit the people of South Africa, BRICS, Africa and the global South.
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