BRICS Foreign Ministers call for a “Rebalance” of the Global System
The foreign ministers of the Group of Five countries, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, called for a “rebalance” of the global system, as they met in the Cape as part of a two-day conference overshadowed by the repercussions of the war in Ukraine.
“Our meeting should send a strong message that the world is multipolar, that it is rebalancing, and that old ways cannot handle new situations,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during an opening speech. “We are a symbol of change and we must act accordingly,” he added.
South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said, “Our discussions will focus on opportunities to strengthen and transform global governance systems.”
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaozhou said that Beijing welcomes potential applicants for BRICS membership. “We expect more countries to join our big family,” he told a press conference.
Thursday’s BRICS meeting comes before a summit of heads of state scheduled for August, whose preparations are dominated by the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin to South Africa, the host country for the summit.
