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‘SA will continue its work with BRICS’

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South Africa says it will continue its work with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) irrespective of who chairs it. The country will be taking BRICS chairmanship next year.

Chief Director for InvestSA at the Department of Trade and Industry, Sadick Jaffer says there is focused work that needs to be done between the BRICS countries on a regular basis despite what is happening in Russia.

Speaking at the official press launch of the South Africa Fourth Investment Conference, In Johannesburg, Jaffer says trade between BRICS countries has actually increased over the past few years.

“BRICS has a subcommittee and comprises of various subcommittees that meet and work together, to work on trade and investments. Once we take the chairmanship we become the driver of those processes.”

He adds, “ Work has not stopped on the BRICS and we work together to continue to identify opportunities both for trade and investment. And we do work also to ensure that there is the ease of doing business between the countries actually gets rebait and gets easier to do business and we keep the relations going because trade and investment flows are long term processes.”

Impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict

Meanwhile, Special Envoy Jeff Radebe says they have noted the impact the Russia-Ukraine conflict is having on the economy despite its BRICS relations with the country.

“The impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict is everywhere. Even ourselves, we see the impact of that tension that has developed. If you look at the fuel price is raising every month we don’t know what’s going to be happening next month. We are also aware that the president has proposed some kind of mediation in that conflict between Russia and Ukraine but the situation is evolving on a daily basis whenever you see tv you see things are getting worse there.”

COVID-19

Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa called upon scientists from the BRICS group of nations to work together in fighting COVID-19.

He appointed Professor Kholeka Mlisana to lead the task team with her BRICS counterparts. This takes place in the context of the establishment of the BRICS vaccine research and development centre.

VIDEO: SABC reporter, Khayelihle Khumalo has more details:

 

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