African Countries Reaffirm their Decision to Join BRICS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0CCSffb2A
金磚國家聯盟包括巴西、俄羅斯、印度、中國和南非，代表全球經濟的四分之一和世界人口的 40% 以上。 該組織被視為國際事務中的一股新力量，尤其是在圍繞聯合國改革和新的全球秩序展開辯論之際。 有興趣加入金磚國家的非洲國家包括阿爾及爾、阿根廷、巴林、孟加拉國、印度尼西亞、伊朗、埃及、墨西哥、尼日利亞、巴基斯坦、蘇丹、敘利亞、土耳其、阿拉伯聯合酋長國、委內瑞拉和津巴布韋。
俄羅斯外長謝爾蓋拉夫羅夫表示，金磚國家聯盟也得到了十幾個國家的興趣，他認為石油資源豐富的阿拉伯國家也可以加入該組織，並與八國上海合作組織建立夥伴關係（ 上合組織）。 上海合作組織包括印度、俄羅斯、巴基斯坦、哈薩克斯坦、吉爾吉斯斯坦、塔吉克斯坦和烏茲別克斯坦。 中國外交部發言人汪文斌肯定了拉夫羅夫的表態，表示金磚國家外長就金磚擴大進程達成共識，金磚合作是開放包容的。
有興趣加入金磚國家的非洲國家
津巴布韋執政黨ZANU-PF議長克裏斯托弗·穆茨萬格瓦周三表示，津巴布韋政府願意加入金磚經濟集團。 他明確表示願意成為金磚國家的一員，對其進一步發展表示樂觀。 Mutsvangwa 還指出，津巴布韋有興趣創建西方目前占主導地位的 Swift 支付網絡的替代方案。 他相信金磚國家可以幫助解決這個問題。
除津巴布韋外，其他非洲國家也表現出加入金磚國家的興趣。 2020年，阿爾及利亞、埃及、尼日利亞表達了加入金磚國家的願望。 對阿爾及利亞來說，加入金磚國家聯盟將使該國獲得新市場和投資機會。 該國尋求實現經濟多元化，擺脫對石油和天然氣出口的依賴。 阿爾及利亞也希望建立穩定的多邊國際秩序，促進南南合作。
尼日利亞是非洲最大的經濟體，自 2018 年以來一直有興趣加入金磚國家。尼日利亞總統穆罕默杜·布哈裏強調與金磚國家加強經濟聯係，尤其是在貿易、技術和投資方麵。 尼日利亞將加入金磚國家視為減少對石油出口依賴和促進經濟多元化的一種方式。 尼日利亞還將金磚國家視為與其他新興市場接觸並促進非洲內部經濟一體化的平台。
作為其旨在吸引外國投資和促進經濟增長的經濟改革計劃的一部分，埃及對加入金磚國家表現出濃厚興趣。 埃及政府認為，加入金磚國家將使其能夠開拓新的市場和投資機會，尤其是在能源、農業和基礎設施領域。 埃及也有興趣與金磚國家就地區安全和反恐問題進行合作。
The Brics alliance includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, representing a quarter of the global economy and more than 40% of the world's population. The group is seen as a new power in international affairs, especially as debates around UN reforms and new global orders emerge. African countries that have shown interest in joining the Brics include Algiers, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
The Brics alliance has also received interest from over a dozen countries, as stated by Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, who believes that oil-rich Arab nations could also join the group and forge partnerships with the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The SCO comprises India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin affirmed Lavrov's comments, stating that the Brics Ministers of Foreign Affairs have reached a consensus on the Brics expansion process and that Brics cooperation is open and inclusive.
African countries interested in joining Brics
Christopher Mutsvangwa, the speaker of the ruling party of Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF, stated on Wednesday that the Zimbabwean government would like to join the Brics economic bloc. He made it clear that they would like to become a member of the Brics, expressing optimism for its further development. Mutsvangwa also noted that Zimbabwe is interested in creating alternatives to the Swift payment network, which the West currently dominates. He believes that Brics could help with this issue.
Apart from Zimbabwe, other African countries have shown interest in joining Brics. In 2020, Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria expressed their desire to join Brics. For Algeria, joining the Brics alliance would give the country access to new markets and investment opportunities. The country seeks to diversify its economy and move away from its dependence on oil and gas exports. Algeria also hopes to create a stable, multilateral global order and promote South-South cooperation.
Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and has been interested in joining Brics since 2018. Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, has emphasized increasing economic ties with Brics nations, especially in trade, technology, and investment. Nigeria sees Brics membership as a way to reduce its dependence on oil exports and promote economic diversification. Nigeria also sees the Brics as a platform to engage with other emerging markets and promote economic integration within Africa.
Egypt has shown a keen interest in joining Brics as part of its economic reform plan, which aims to attract foreign investment and promote economic growth. The Egyptian government believes that joining Brics will enable it to tap into new markets and investment opportunities, particularly in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. Egypt is also interested in cooperating with Brics nations on issues of regional security and counter-terrorism.
As BRICS Chair, South Africa Vows to 'Advance African Interests'
January 10, 2023 11:23 AM
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during the BRICS Business Council prior to the 11th edition of the BRICS Summit, in Brasilia, on Nov. 13, 2019.
JOHANNESBURG —
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he'll use his chairmanship of the BRICS group of leading emerging economies to focus on advancing African interests. The bloc — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — is seen as an alternative to dominant Western economies.
South Africa has just taken over the BRICS chairmanship from China and will host the group’s annual summit this year — with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promising more African countries will be invited to attend.
“We want to use this opportunity to advance the interests of our continent, and we will therefore through the BRICS summit be having an outreach process or moment, where we will invite other African countries to come and be part of the BRICS because we do want BRICS in whatever BRICS does to focus on helping to develop our continent," said Ramaphosa.
"Our continent was pillaged and ravaged and exploited by other continents and we therefore want to build the solidarity in BRICS to advance the interests, of course initially of our own country, but also of the continent as a whole.”
Asked what form advocating for Africa might take, Mikatekiso Kubayi, a researcher at the Pretoria-based research organization the Institute for Global Dialogue, told VOA it would likely be focused on helping African countries gain greater access to the global economy.
He said BRICS is all about allowing the “voices of the marginalized to actually be heard” and said Africa wants to better the living standards of its people and create employment.
“The collective strength of the BRICS economy and the technological capability, market size, and other qualities that make BRICS a solid development partner for Africa is what South Africa will look to harness with the BRICS partners. I think that is what the president was referring to,” said Kubayi.
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, of the South African Institute of International Affairs, said that trade would be a priority and there would be a focus on unlocking the potential of the recently formed African Continental Free Trade Area.
She noted that China, the world’s second-largest economy, is the continent’s single largest trade partner.
She said the summit is also about getting investment from external partners and sparking intra-continental trade.
“South Africa would want to advocate in the discussions on these issues with its other BRICS partners in terms of how we, we use the creation of a continental free trade area, not only to trade more with the external world, but primarily, which is what this initiative is really about, to trade, to create goods in the continent that we can trade within the continent,” she said.
Sidiropoulos said aside from trying to advance the economies of developing countries, BRICS is also about reforming the current multilateral system which “does not necessarily advance the interests of the global South.”
At the last BRICS summit, hosted virtually by Beijing, Ramaphosa took aim at the West, saying that during the COVID-19 pandemic rich nations did not adhere to “the principles of solidarity and cooperation when it comes to equitable access to vaccines.”
As well as an economic force, BRICS — which includes three democracies but also communist China and authoritarian Russia — is increasing a political force that positions itself as an alternative to the U.S.-led liberal world order.
Only Brazil voted against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations last year, while the other members abstained. South Africa, as the continent’s foremost democracy, was widely criticized for taking a neutral stance on the conflict.
And it looks like BRICS might soon expand. Saudi Arabia is reportedly interested in joining the bloc, as are Iran, Algeria and Argentina.
