South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised address to the nation on Sunday said that the 15th BRICS Summit will discuss a number of issues, including the important issue of the possible expansion of the membership of BRICS, adding that South Africa supports the expansion of the membership of BRICS.
An estimated 20 countries have formally applied to join BRICS, Ramaphosa said, while several other countries have expressed an interest in becoming part of the BRICS family further down the road.
The gathering of Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa will also be attended by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose office helped negotiate a Black Sea grain export deal between Russia and Ukraine last summer.
Ramaphosa said his country would continue to be involved in the talks on reviving the deal to facilitate the flow of grain, and reaffirmed his commitment to mediation and diplomacy as "the only viable path to end the current conflict and achieve a durable peace."
South Africa will have the opportunity to take the lead in addressing global challenges in 2025 when it assumes the presidency of the G20 group of the world's major economies, the president emphasized.