The dialogue will be held in Johannesburg to deliberate on issues of mutual interest…reports Asian Lite News
South Africa‘s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), has said that political parties from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries will meet next month to discuss how to strengthen the BRICS mechanism, economic recovery and conflict resolutions.
The dialogue will be held in Johannesburg on July 18-20 to deliberate on issues of mutual interest, and it will be attended by party leaders and representatives of political parties across the world, the ANC said on Friday in a statement.
“The 2023 BRICS Political Parties Plus Dialogue will deliberate on reforming and strengthening mechanisms for inclusive multilateralism, and resolving conflicts through dialogue and negotiations. They will discuss ways and means to strengthen BRICS, including the New Development Bank and alternate international payment systems and contribute to the establishment of criteria for BRICS expansion and just development relationships with Africa,” the ANC added.
“It is envisaged that the BRICS Political Parties Plus Dialogue will result in focused discussions, and practical strategies and tactics developed for implementation. We must strengthen party to party and multi-party relations on our continent to turn consensus into concrete action,” the ANC said.
French President Emmanuel Macron would be an inappropriate guest at the BRICS summit, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday, criticizing countries whose policies Russia considers hostile.
The BRICS group of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg in August.
Asked about Macron’s reported desire to attend the summit, Ryabkov said: “Clearly, leaders of states that pursue such a hostile and unacceptable policy toward us, discussing with such emphasis and conviction that Russia should be isolated on the international stage, and share the common NATO line on inflicting a so-called strategic defeat on us – such a leader is an inappropriate BRICS guest.
“And we are not hiding this approach of ours, we have told our colleagues from South Africa. We expect that our point of view will be fully accepted,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
South Africa is currently mulling its legal options if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attend the BRICS summit because the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the Ukraine conflict.
South Africa is an ICC member and would theoretically be required to arrest him if he attends the BRICS summit.
Meanwhile, The Russian Sports Ministry has revealed that the BRICS Games will be staged in June next year – just one month before the start of the Olympics in Paris.
Russian city Kazan has been chosen as host of the event that is expected to be participated by member nations of BRICS – a political alliance comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
A tentative programme featuring 22 sports has also been approved by the Russian Sports Ministry, with competition due to be staged across 12 venues in Kazan, but details on the disciplines have yet to be revealed.
The plans for the Games were announced in a report by Russia’s official state news agency TASS after the country’s Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin participated in a meeting with his counterparts from BRICS members in South Africa.
“Under the current conditions, the role of BRICS in helping to resolve global issues, including in sports, is growing,” said Matytsin.
“Our association remains an example of true multilateralism and respect for each other. We consistently stand for the comprehensive strengthening of friendly sports ties with the BRICS countries – based on the principles of equality, lack of discrimination, mutual respect and equal admission of athletes to competitions.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his Government in May to submit proposals for organising the multi-sport event.
Association of Summer Olympic International Federations President Francesco Ricci Bitti has warned Russia against any “very contentious” plans to stage rebel events outside of the Olympic Movement
According to TASS, Matytsin stressed that the BRICS Games were not alternative competitions and would not unsettle the global sporting calendar.
The Russian Sports Minister also backed plans by South Africa to create a “BRICS Sports Charter” and said there were also proposals to stage other BRICS events.
“The BRICS Sports Charter will set out the basic principles for the development of sports in the area of association,” said Matytsin.
“Cooperation in individual sports opens up broad prospects. To this end, we propose to consider the possibility of establishing BRICS championships and professional leagues.”
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