President Cyril Ramaphosa confirms South Africa’s readiness to host 15th Summit of BRICS nations

19 July 2023

President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed South Africa’s readiness to host the historic 15th Summit of BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It will be the first BRICS Summit to be hosted in person since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global restrictions.

President Ramaphosa has in recent months and weeks held a number of consultations on the hosting of the Summit. The President’s most recent consultation in this regard took place last night, Tuesday 18 July 2023, at the BRICS Political Party Dialogue in Gauteng.

The Summit will be attended by the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the Summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Mr Sergey Lavrov.

In due course, a comprehensive statement on the substantive issues to be covered at the Summit and other related foreign policy matters will be issued.

President Ramaphosa is confident that the Summit will be a success and calls on the nation to extend the necessary hospitality to the many delegates who will arrive from various parts of the continent and the globe.

Issued by Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa, 19 July 2023