South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the BRICS group of world's emerging economies to invest in the development of Africa, given the potential of the continent.
President Ramaphosa made the call while addressing the BRICS Business Forum ahead of the bloc's summit due to start on Tuesday in Kazan, Russia.
The South African leader pointed out that Africa's free trade arrangement is ''unlocking massive opportunities'' and called on the BRICS members to make ''substantial'' investment in Africa's infrastructure and skills for young people.
''We therefore call on fellow BRICS countries to partner with us to build the roads that are needed, the ports for exports and imports, the rail lines, the energy and the telecommunications networks, that will enable Africa to industrialise and to be able to trade with other countries in the world,'' he said.
The BRICS Summit in Russia is due to take place from October 22 to 24, with attendance expected from several world leaders.
Issues at summit
According to Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, 32 countries have confirmed their participation, with 24 being represented by their heads of state, while the remaining eight will send high-ranking officials.
In addition, heads of several international organisations will take part in the event, including UN chief Antonio Guterres, said Ushakov.
Major topics at the summit are likely to include economic cooperation, trade agreements and the challenges faced by BRICS members, such as geopolitical tensions, the global economic slowdown and climate change.
Russia will likely highlight multilateralism, using the BRICS platform to counter Western-dominated global governance structures.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has highlighted the importance of the summit in strengthening multilateralism, was scheduled to participate.
International standards
He canceled his trip to the summit, however, after receiving medical advice to temporarily avoid long flights after suffering a head injury at home which caused a minor brain hemorrhage and will now take part in the meeting via videoconference.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend, marking a significant moment, as this will be the first summit with the bloc's new members, including Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The participation of these countries reflects a broader expectation of increased cooperation and influence within the BRICS framework.
President Ramaphosa said his country supports the enforcement of international and standards including ''cross-border taxation and data privacy protection,'' while emphasising the need to support Africa's development.
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