The recently concluded BRICS summit in South Africa is undeniably altering the global landscape. This is the assessment put forth by South African media as they comment on the outcomes of the forum.
"The world will be forever altered by the BRICS summit hosted in Johannesburg," states the SABC radio station. "With the inclusion of six new countries—Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran—BRICS is evolving into a fresh geopolitical focal point, giving rise to a new force: the Global South, encompassing over 100 states. The influential framework embodied by BRICS and its collaborators will garner greater attention and influence from Western nations," the station remarks.
As reported by the News 24 news portal, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's political acumen was acknowledged by his BRICS colleagues. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking via video link, lauded Ramaphosa's "skillful policy in uniting partners towards consensus, commending his remarkable diplomatic finesse," the portal details.
The Independent Online news portal highlights the profound global oil market implications stemming from the BRICS expansion. "New fuel pricing dynamics are on the horizon, given that several oil-exporting nations are joining BRICS. Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE, pivotal OPEC members, are among the new entrants. As Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia become BRICS members on January 1 next year, the association aims to bolster the geopolitical influence of the Global South on the international stage." The newspaper notes that China and Russia have already positioned BRICS as a counterweight to the Western-established order and intend to further expand the alliance.
City Press emphasizes that during the summit, approximately 65 heads of state, including leaders from the Global South, expressed their view that BRICS serves as an economic and political alternative for the future. The publication outlines that in the upcoming year, additional countries like Cameroon, Comoros, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Senegal, South Sudan and Zambia may consider joining BRICS. Cuba and Venezuela have also signaled their intention.
The BRICS summit was marked by calls to elevate the Global South's role in the world economy, alongside endeavors "to ensure political stability and reform international financial institutions," reports Eyewitness News Radio.
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Photo: brics-russia2020.ru/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS