JOHANNESBURG, July 23 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has put everything in place to make the upcoming 10th BRICS Summit here a success, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Lindiwe Sisulu, said Monday.
"We are in state of readiness (after) a month's work of intensive preparations for BRICS and as Deputy President has read out are confident that it will be a resounding success," he told a news briefing.
The Johannesburg Summit to be held on July 25-27 at the Sandton Convention Center here is themed "BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution." It will gather leaders from the bloc's five members -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- to discuss measures responding to global challenges.
Presidents of several African countries are also invited to attend a dialogue under the BRICS framework on external cooperation.
At the news briefing, Sisulu reaffirmed the importance of an open and inclusive world economy enabling all countries and peoples to share the benefits of globalization as was embodied in the joint statement on the summit released in June by foreign ministers of the bloc of emerging market economies.
In particular, the ministers called for BRICS countries to stand together to fight the new wave of protectionism and promote rules-based multilateralism with the centrality of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and international law.
Luwellyn Landers, South Africa's deputy foreign minister, said, BRICS has both the opportunity and responsibility to transform the lives of the vast number of people it represents.
Collectively, the five BRICS members represent about 40 percent of the global population and a quarter of the world economy.
