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Speeches sometimes tend to be deadly affairs. Much of it is repackaged; and even more of it now is intended for digestion later through the sorting mechanisms of algorithms designed to pick up key text and move an item up the results in search requests. And yet, speeches delivered by leaders are meant for public consumption and do provide a window on the way in which leaders not just choose to emphasize certain elements and down play others, but also, provide a sense of the underlying premises which motivate the calculus of statements to be projected onto the global stage. Even more interesting is when leaders come together to deliver these discursive performances. Now things a little more interesting. The interest lies in considering the disaggregations that lie beneath or beside the usual efforts to develop and project the consensus unified statement that reinforces the sense of the singularity of the group. It has been tempting for some to make of sport of that in considering the statements at G7 meetings. But the same forces drive, or ought to drive, analysis of statements at the BRICS meetings.
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Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the BRICS Business Forum Leaders' Dialogue
Your Excellency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Ministers and Officials,
Business Leaders,
Friends,
It is a great honour to participate in this Leaders’ Session of the BRICS Business Forum.
I thank you all for your attendance and participation.
The BRICS group of countries exists not only to strengthen government-to-government relations, but also to forge stronger ties between the peoples of our five nations. It is for this reason that several bodies have been established to enable cooperation across society.
The BRICS Business Council is a vital and vibrant platform for strengthening economic ties between our respective countries and in forging common perspectives on inclusive economic growth and development.
The changes that have taken place in BRICS economies over the past decade have done much to transform the shape of the global economy.
Together, the BRICS countries make up a quarter of the global economy, they account for a fifth of global trade and are home to more than 40 per cent of the world’s population.
As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of BRICS, trade between BRICS countries totaled some $162 billion last year.
Foreign investment has played an important role in the growth of BRICS economies.
Total annual foreign direct investment into BRICS countries is four times greater than it was 20 years ago.
However, the new wave of protectionism and the subsequent impact of unilateral measures that are incompatible with WTO rules undermine global economic growth and development.
We therefore need to reaffirm our position that economic growth must be underpinned by transparency and inclusiveness. It must be compatible with a multilateral trading system that supports a developmental agenda.
We require a fundamental reform of the global financial institutions so that they can be more agile and responsive to the challenges facing developing economies.
In this respect, the New Development Bank, established by BRICS countries in 2015, is leading the way. Since its formation it has demonstrated its ability to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging economies without conditionalities.
BRICS economies have emerged as powerful engines of global growth.
Yet the rapid economic, technological and social changes underway create new risks for employment, equality and poverty in many BRICS countries.
We therefore call on the business community to join hands with us to identify solutions to these and other challenges affecting our respective economies.
From a South African perspective, there is massive untapped potential for investment in our country and on the African continent.
In recognition of this potential, the theme for this 15th BRICS Summit is:
‘BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism’.
Africa is a continent of great opportunity in the industrialisation process in a variety of sectors.
Africa is a continent rich in the critical minerals that will drive business success in the 21st Century.
The continent has resources of lithium, vanadium, cobalt, platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, rare earth minerals, rhodium and many others.
African countries have made it clear that the investors of choice are those who will process the resources here, close to source.
We are developing stronger regional value-chains that will connect a number of African countries, providing investors with diversity, strength and resilience.
The African Continental Free Trade Area creates a single market that is expected to grow to 1.7 billion people and nearly $7 trillion in consumer and business spending by 2030.
The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area will require a massive investment in infrastructure. We need to mobilise the substantial financing needed to build the roads, ports, rail, energy and telecommunications networks that will enable industrialisation and trade.
Growth in African economies will be driven in the main by small and medium enterprises. This requires focused and effective support to these businesses. It is important that specific financing be directed to women-owned businesses so that they can harness the benefits of the continental free trade area.
Africa has a young, digitally-connected and urbanising population, which provides a stable workforce for companies in future. The investment in skills development is growing.
These factors all position Africa as the next frontier of productivity and growth.
BRICS countries have an opportunity to contribute to and participate in Africa’s growth story. This can be achieved through greater cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, new energy and the digital economy.
South Africa has an important position in this growing African market, facilitated by the African Continental Free Trade Area and other free trade agreements.
South Africa's industrial strength, our mineral endowments and our large market opportunities provide a compelling value-proposition for companies wanting to establish their businesses here.
South Africa has significant industrial capacity, with Africa’s most advanced industrial innovation and fabrication base.
Firms that have invested here recognise that South Africa has deep local capital markets and strong financial systems. We have a diverse and sophisticated economy.
South Africa possesses world-class infrastructure, skills, abundant natural resources, industrial clusters and a host of incentives to support investment.
Many investment and partnership opportunities exist in renewable energy, infrastructure, aquaculture, ICT, automotives, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, among others.
It is clear from the report that we have received that this has been a most productive Business Forum.
I commend the BRICS Business Council, the respective Ministers and officials and all the business leaders that continue to contribute to this valuable work.
I sincerely hope that your participation in this BRICS Business Forum will yield the productive outcomes required for us to catapult BRICS economies towards more equitable and accelerated growth.
I thank you.
***
Excellencies,
ब्रिक्स बिज़नेस समुदाय के लीडर्स,
नमस्कार।
मुझे ख़ुशी है कि दक्षिण अफ्रीका की भूमि पर पैर रखते ही हमारे कार्यक्रम की शुरुआत ब्रिक्स बिज़नेस फोरम से हो रही है।
सबसे पह मैं राष्ट्रपति रामाफोसा को उनके निमंत्रण और इस बैठक के आयोजन के लिए धन्यवाद देता हूँ ।
ब्रिक्स बिज़नेस काउंसिल को दसवीं वर्षगाँठ पर बहुत बहुत बधाई और शुभकामनाएं देता हूँ।
पिछले दस वर्षों में ब्रिक्स बिज़नेस काउंसिल ने हमारे आर्थिक सहयोग को बढ़ाने में बहुत महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है।
2009 में जब ब्रिक्स की पहली समिट आयोजित की गई थी, तब विश्व एक बड़े आर्थिक संकट से बाहर आ रहा था।
उस समय ब्रिक्स वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए एक आशा की किरण के रूप में उभरा था।
वर्तमान समय में भी कोविड महामारी, तनावों और विवादों के बीच, विश्व आर्थिक चुनौतियों से जूझ रहा है।
ऐसे समय में ब्रिक्स देशों की एक बार फिर महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका है।
Friends,
वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था में उथल-पुथल के बावजूद, भारत आज विश्व की fastest growing major economy है।
जल्दी ही भारत five ट्रिलियन डॉलर economy बन जाएगा।
इस बात में कोई संदेह नहीं है, कि आने वाले वर्षों में भारत विश्व का Growth Engine रहेगा।
यह इसलिए है क्योंकि भारत ने आपदा और मुश्किलों के समय को आर्थिक सुधार के अवसर में परिवर्तित किया।
पिछले कुछ वर्षों में हमने मिशन मोड में जो reforms किये हैं, उनसे भारत में ease of doing business में लगातार बढ़ोतरी हुई है।
हमने Compliance burden को कम किया है।
रेड टेप को हटाकर हम रेड कारपेट बिछा रहे हैं।
GST और Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code के लागू होने से investor confidence बढ़ा है।
रक्षा और अंतरिक्ष जैसे क्षेत्र, जिनको प्रतिबंधित माना जाता था, आज private sector के लिए खोल दिए गए हैं।
हमने public service delivery और good governance पर विशेष रूप से ध्यान केन्द्रित किया है।
टेक्नोलॉजी के इस्तेमाल से भारत ने financial inclusion की ओर एक बड़ी छलांग लगाई है।
इसका सबसे अधिक लाभ हमारी ग्रामीण महिलाओं को मिला है।
आज एक क्लिक से भारत में करोड़ों लोगों को Direct Benefit Transfers किये जाते हैं।
अब तक 360 बिलियन डॉलर से भी अधिक के ऐसे Transfers किये जा चुके हैं।
इससे service delivery में पारदर्शिता बढ़ी है, भ्रष्टाचार और middlemen कम हुए हैं।
प्रति गीगाबाइट डाटा की कीमत में भारत सबसे किफायती देशों में है।
आज भारत में स्ट्रीट वेंडर्स से लेकर बड़े बड़े शॉपिंग मॉल्स तक UPI यानि Unified Payments Interface का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है।
आज विश्व के सबसे अधिक डिजिटल transactions वाला देश भारत है।
UAE, सिंगापुर, फ्रांस जैसे देश इस प्लेटफार्म से जुड़ रहे हैं।
ब्रिक्स देशों के साथ भी इस पर काम करने की अनेक संभावनाएं हैं।
भारत के infrastructure में बड़े पैमाने पर हो रहे निवेश से देश का परिदृश्य बदल रहा है।
इस वर्ष के बजट में हमने infrastructure के लिए लगभग 120 बिलियन डॉलर का प्रावधान रखा है।
इस निवेश के माध्यम से हम भविष्य के एक नए भारत की मज़बूत नींव रख रहे हैं।
रेल, रोड, waterways, एयरवेज हर क्षेत्र में तेज़ गति से बदलाव आ रहा है।
आज भारत में दस हजार किलोमीटर प्रति वर्ष की रफ्तार से नए हाईवे बन रहे हैं।
पिछले 9 वर्षों में एयरपोर्ट्स की संख्या दोगुनी हो गयी है।
निवेश और उत्पादन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए हमने Production Linked Incentives scheme लागू की है।
Logistics cost कम होने से भारत का manufacturing सेक्टर competitive हो रहा है।
Renewable Energy के क्षेत्र में भारत world leaders में से एक है।
हम भारत को Solar energy, wind energy, इलेक्ट्रिक Vehicles, ग्रीन hydrogen, ग्रीन ammonia जैसे क्षेत्रों में ग्लोबल manufacturing hub बनाने के लिए सक्रिय रूप से कदम उठा रहे हैं।
स्वाभाविक है कि इससे भारत में renewable technology का एक बड़ा market बनेगा।
आज भारत में विश्व का तीसरा सबसे बड़ा start-up ecosystem है।
भारत में इस समय सौ से भी अधिक unicorns हैं।
IT, Telecom, FinTech, AI और semiconductors जैसे क्षेत्रों में हम “Make in India, Make for the World” के विज़न को आगे बढ़ा रहे हैं।
इन सभी प्रयासों का सामान्य जन के जीवन पर प्रत्यक्ष रूप से सकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ा है।
पिछले नौ वर्षों में लोगों की आय में लगभग तीन गुना वृद्धि हुई है।
भारत के आर्थिक विकास में महिलाओं की सशक्त भागीदारी रही है।
IT से लेकर Space तक, banking से लेकर healthcare तक,
महिलाएं पुरुषों के साथ कंधे से कंधा मिलाकर देश की प्रगति में योगदान दे रही हैं।
भारत के लोगों ने 2047 तक एक विकसित राष्ट्र बनने का संकल्प लिया है।
Friends,
मैं आप सभी को भारत की विकास यात्रा में शामिल होने के लिए आमंत्रित करता हूँ।
कोविड महामारी ने हमें resilient और inclusive supply chains के महत्त्व को सिखाया है।
इसके लिए आपसी विश्वास और पारदर्शिता बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण हैं।
हम एक दूसरे की ताकतों को जोड़कर पूरे विश्व, खासतौर पर ग्लोबल साउथ के कल्याण में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दे सकते हैं।
Excellencies
मैं एक बार फिर ब्रिक्स बिज़नेस जगत के लीडर्स को उनके योगदान के लिए बधाई देता हूँ ।
इस मीटिंग के शानदार आयोजन के लिए मैं मेरे मित्र राष्ट्रपति रामाफोसा का भी आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।
धन्यवाद।
Excellencies,
BRICS business community leaders,
Hello.
I am happy that as soon as we set foot on the soil of South Africa, our program is starting with the BRICS Business Forum.
At the outset I would like to thank President Ramaphosa for his invitation and for organizing this meeting.
Many many congratulations and best wishes to the BRICS Business Council on its tenth anniversary.
In the last ten years, the BRICS Business Council has played a very important role in enhancing our economic cooperation.
When the first BRICS summit was held in 2009, the world was coming out of a major economic crisis.
At that time BRICS emerged as a ray of hope for the global economy.
Even at present, the world is grappling with economic challenges amid the Covid pandemic, tensions and disputes.
At such a time, the BRICS countries once again have an important role to play.
friends,
Despite the turmoil in the global economy, India today is the fastest growing major economy in the world.
Soon India will become a five trillion dollar economy.
There is no doubt that India will be the growth engine of the world in the years to come.
This is because India converted times of disaster and hardship into opportunities for economic recovery.
The reforms that we have done in the mission mode in the last few years have resulted in continuous increase in the ease of doing business in India.
We have reduced the compliance burden.
We are rolling out the red carpet by removing the red tape.
Investor confidence has increased due to the implementation of GST and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
Sectors like defense and space, which were considered restricted, have been opened up to the private sector today.
We have specially focused on public service delivery and good governance.
With the use of technology, India has taken a giant leap towards financial inclusion.
Our rural women have benefited the most from this.
Today, Direct Benefit Transfers are done to crores of people in India with one click.
Till now such transfers worth more than 360 billion dollars have been done.
This has increased transparency in service delivery, reduced corruption and middlemen.
India is among the most economical countries in terms of cost per gigabyte of data.
Today, UPI i.e. Unified Payments Interface is used in India from street vendors to big shopping malls.
Today India is the country with the largest number of digital transactions in the world.
Countries like UAE, Singapore, France are joining this platform.
There are many possibilities of working on this with BRICS countries as well.
The scenario of the country is changing due to large scale investment in India's infrastructure.
In this year's budget, we have made a provision of about $120 billion for infrastructure.
Through this investment, we are laying a strong foundation for a new India of the future.
Rail, road, waterways, airways are changing at a fast pace in every field.
Today, new highways are being built in India at a speed of ten thousand kilometers per year.
The number of airports has doubled in the last 9 years.
To promote investment and production, we have implemented Production Linked Incentives scheme.
India's manufacturing sector is becoming competitive due to reduction in logistics cost.
India is one of the world leaders in the field of Renewable Energy.
We are actively taking steps to make India a global manufacturing hub in areas like solar energy, wind energy, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, green ammonia.
It is natural that this will create a big market for renewable technology in India.
Today India has the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world.
There are currently more than a hundred unicorns in India.
We are taking forward the vision of “Make in India, Make for the World” in sectors like IT, Telecom, FinTech, AI and semiconductors.
All these efforts have had a direct positive impact on the lives of common people.
The income of the people has increased almost three times in the last nine years.
There has been a strong participation of women in the economic development of India.
From IT to Space, from banking to healthcare,
Women are contributing to the progress of the country shoulder to shoulder with men.
The people of India have taken a pledge to become a developed nation by 2047.
friends,
I invite all of you to join India's development journey.
The Covid pandemic has taught us the importance of resilient and inclusive supply chains.
For this, mutual trust and transparency are very important.
By combining each other's strengths, we can make a significant contribution to the welfare of the entire world, especially the Global South.
Excellencies
I once again congratulate the BRICS business leaders for their contribution.
I also express my gratitude to my friend President Ramaphosa for the wonderful organization of this meeting.
Thank you.
***
Speech by President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during the BRICS Business Forum, in Johannesburg, South Africa
I would like to congratulate the South African government for hosting this Business Forum.
I want to express my satisfaction for sharing this event with the other leaders of the BRICS countries.
I would also like to thank all the businesspersons who are present, especially the Business Council management – which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Establishing partnerships between private sectors is a very relevant dimension of BRICS that gives life and continuity to the relations between the countries.
Our participation in the global economy has been expanding since the first Summit of Heads of State and Government.
We have already surpassed the G7, and we now account for 32% of the world GDP in purchasing power parity.
Projections indicate that emerging and developing markets will present the highest growth rates in the coming years.
According to the IMF, while growth in industrialized countries is expected to drop from 2.7% in 2022 to 1.4% in 2024, the expected growth for developing countries is 4% this year and the next.
This shows that the economy's dynamism is in the Global South – and BRICS is its driving force.
Brazil's total trade with BRICS increased from US$48 billion in 2009 to US$178 billion in 2022 – a 370% growth since the group was created.
BRICS Direct Foreign Investment stock in Brazil increased 167% between 2012 and 2021, reaching 34.2 billion dollars. Today, almost 400 companies from the bloc operate in Brazil.
Following the last six years of setbacks and stagnation, Brazil will once again create quality jobs, fight poverty and increase the income of Brazilian families.
Two weeks ago, I presented Brazil’s new Growth Acceleration Program [Novo Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento/Novo PAC]. The program will resume infrastructure work that had been paralyzed, speed up those in progress, and select new projects.
It’s a broad program that holds many opportunities that could be of interest to investors from BRICS countries.
We expect to mobilize USD 340 billion to modernize our logistics infrastructure – investing in roads, railways, waterways, ports, and airports.
We will also prioritize the generation of solar, wind, biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel energy. Our potential for producing green hydrogen is gigantic.
We are going to establish partnerships between the government and businesspersons across all these fields – through concessions, Public-Private Partnerships, and direct contracts.
So that investments may increase again and create development, we must ensure greater credibility, predictability, and legal stability for the private sector.
This is why I have defended the idea of using a reference unit for trade, but not to replace our national currencies.
Developing countries’ unmet financing needs continue to be very high. The lack of significant reform in traditional financial institutions limits the volume and credit modalities in existing banks.
The decision to establish the New Development Bank was a milestone in effective collaboration among emerging economies.
Our joint bank must be a global leader in financing projects that address the most pressing challenges of our time.
By diversifying sources of payment in local currencies and expanding its network of partners and members, the NDB is a strategic platform to promote cooperation among developing countries.
In this strategy, engagement with the African Development Bank will be central.
At the multilateral level, BRICS stands out as a force working in favor of a fairer, more predictable, and equitable global trade.
We cannot accept a green neocolonialism that imposes trade barriers and discriminatory measures under the pretext of protecting the environment.
As of December, Brazil will occupy the presidency of the G20. The presence of three BRICS members in the G20 Troika will be a great opportunity for us to advance issues that are of interest to the Global South.
We already have the participation of South Africa, but the group’s representativeness will be expanded by the entry of the African Union and other countries from the continent.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Upon returning to the presidency of my country, I am resuming the guidelines of Brazilian foreign policy.
We have begun to reestablish South American integration. We resumed our partnerships with the United States, China, and the European Union.
We hosted the Summit of Amazon Countries – but Brazil still had to return to Africa.
The fact that, in 2022, Brazil's trade with Africa has dropped by one
third compared to 2013 – when it was almost 30 billion dollars – is
unacceptable.
The trade flow with Africa still corresponds to only 3.5% of Brazil's foreign trade.
Our network of commercial agreements is also incipient. The Mercosur agreements with Southern Africa and Egypt date back to my second term.
Today, more than 65% of Mercosur exports to Africa go to countries with which there is no agreement in force. There’s plenty of room to grow.
As well as a past that unites us, we also share a common vision of the future.
During my first two terms, the African continent was a priority. I have made 12 trips to Africa and been to 21 countries.
Brazil is back to the continent it should never have left. Africa has vast opportunities and enormous growth potential.
To discuss the reestablishment of trade with the continent, Brazil gathered the leaders of the trade promotion sectors of all our representations in African countries here in Johannesburg last June.
Africa is building an ambitious free trade zone project: 54 countries, 1.3 billion people, and over US$3 trillion in GDP.
In this continent, which is the youngest in the world and will be the most populous in 2100, there are countless opportunities for Brazilian products such as food and beverages, oil, iron ore, vehicles, and iron and steel products.
Africa harbors 65% of the arable land available in the world, and it has a strong vocation to be an agricultural power – with the capacity to feed its people and offer solutions towards global food security.
Combining investment and technology, Brazil has developed modern tropical agriculture techniques that can be successfully replicated.
Through the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária], we have turned our Cerrado into highly productive agricultural land – and we can replicate this experience in the African Savannah.
My government also resumed public policies to support family farming, which is essential to combat the food insecurity and hunger that affects our continents.
The Mais Alimentos Program, which I relaunched last June, allows small producers to access financing to purchase tractors and harvesters.
Just as in the past, a version of More Food for Africa is to be resumed as another aspect of Brazilian South-South cooperation.
Africa is also at the heart of the digital and energy transitions.
Internet coverage already includes most of the African population, and digital innovation centers and financial technology service companies are increasing in number.
The strengthening of the Brazilian health industrial complex is capable of generating ample opportunities for collaboration.
Just like South America, the African continent has important reserves of critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt – which will play a strategic role.
So as not to remain mere exporters of primary products, we must take the opportunity to forge integration of our production chains and add value to the goods and services we produce in a sustainable way.
Africa is the world region that emits the least greenhouse gasses. Nonetheless, it continues to face the most perverse consequences of global warming – such as droughts, floods, fires, and cyclones.
Brazil and several African countries possess comprehensive plans to renew their energy matrices.
We share responsibility for caring for our tropical forests and preserving biodiversity. We have efforts to combat desertification in common.
The environmental and ecosystem services tropical forests provide to the world must be rewarded fairly and equitably.
Sociobiodiversity products can generate jobs and income and offer alternatives to the predatory exploitation of natural resources.
These are the pillars of the Ecological Transformation Plan that we will launch soon.
For our economic and productive integration to flourish, it will be necessary to expand sea and air connections between the two sides of the Atlantic.
It is inexplicable that there are still no direct flights between São Paulo and Johannesburg, Cairo, or Dakar, all essential to increase the flow of people, commerce, and tourism.
The proposal of the BRICS Business Council to establish a multilateral agreement on air services for the group, including the leading national transport and aviation authorities, is very pertinent.
Ladies and gentlemen,
BRICS now has a unique opportunity to shape the path of global development.
All of you, businesspersons, are part of this effort of ours. Together, our countries make up a third of the world's economy.
This relevance will increase with the entry of new full members and dialogue partners.
Collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital to harnessing this potential and achieving lasting results.
Thank you very much.
***
Full text of Chinese president's speech at BRICS Business Forum in South Africa
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered on July 25 a speech titled "Keeping Abreast of the Trend of the Times to Achieve Common Development" at the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping
President of the People's Republic of China
At the BRICS Business Forum
Johannesburg, 25 July 2018
Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa,
Your Excellency President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo,
Your Excellency Deputy President David Mabuza of South Africa,
Ministers,
Friends from the business community,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Good afternoon! I am delighted to visit South Africa, the "rainbow nation," once again and meet you here in the beautiful city of Johannesburg. The first international summit I attended after taking office as Chinese president five years ago was the fifth BRICS Summit held in Durban. Three years ago, right here in this convention center, I attended the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit with African leaders.
Nearly three years on, as I once again set foot on the African continent, I am struck by its robust growth and strong vitality.
Thanks to the strong support of all participating parties, China successfully hosted the BRICS Xiamen Summit last September. We as BRICS leaders unanimously agreed to strengthen our strategic partnership, consolidate the cooperation architecture with its three main drivers, namely, economic cooperation, political and security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. We thus laid out a vision of BRICS+ cooperation and jointly ushered in the second Golden Decade of BRICS cooperation.
I understand that in the Nguni language, Johannesburg means the "Place of Gold." We cannot find a better place to chart the course for our Golden Decade than in this city of gold. Here in Johannesburg, I look forward to working with other BRICS leaders to embark on a new journey of BRICS cooperation and fulfill our new mission.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
The BRICS mechanism owes its birth and growth to evolution of both the global economy and the international landscape. In its first decade, BRICS cooperation got off the ground and bore rich fruit. We five BRICS countries, guided by the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, have deepened our cooperation, enhanced our solidarity and mutual trust, improved the lives of our peoples, and made our bond of interests and friendship even closer. Indeed, our cooperation has contributed much to global economic recovery and growth.
We are witnessing major changes unfolding in our world, something unseen in a century. This is a world of both opportunities and challenges for us emerging markets and developing countries. We should pursue BRICS cooperation in the historical process of global transformation, and we should promote the development of our own countries in the historical course of promoting the common development of both BRICS countries and other countries in the world, thus making new advances in the next Golden Decade.
-- The next decade will be a crucial one in which new global growth drivers will take the place of old ones. A new round of revolution and transformation in science, technology and industries featuring artificial intelligence, big data, quantum information and bio-technology are gaining momentum. They are giving birth to a large number of new industries and business forms and models and will fundamentally change global development and people's work and lives. We must seize this important opportunity to enable emerging markets and developing countries to achieve leapfrog development.
-- The next decade will see faster changes in the international landscape and the international alignment of forces. Emerging markets and developing countries already contribute 80 percent of global economic growth. Based on exchange rate calculation, these countries account for nearly 40 percent of the global economic output. Growing at their current rates, these countries will see their economic output approach half of the global total in a decade. The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries is unstoppable, and it will make global development more balanced and global peace more firmly based.
-- The next decade will see a profound reshaping of the global governance system. The world is moving toward multi-polarity and greater economic globalization amid setbacks. Geopolitical hotspots keep emerging, and the dark shadow of terrorism and armed conflicts still haunts us. Unilateralism and protectionism are mounting, dealing a severe blow to multilateralism and the multilateral trading regime. The international community has reached a new crossroads; and we are facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation, between opening-up and a close-door policy, and between mutual benefit and a beggar-thy-neighbor approach. Thus, the evolution of global governance system will have a profound impact on the development of all countries, particularly emerging markets and developing countries, and indeed on the prosperity and stability of the whole world.
We BRICS countries should keep abreast of the historical trend, seize development opportunities, jointly meet challenges, and play a constructive role in building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
First, we should pursue win-win cooperation to build an open economy. Openness and cooperation are the sure way to achieve progress in science and technology and growth of productivity. A trade war should be rejected, because there will be no winner. Economic hegemony is even more objectionable, as it will undermine the collective interests of the international community; those who pursue this course will only end up hurting themselves.
As the world economy is going through profound transition and changes, only by opening themselves can different countries achieve mutual benefit, shared prosperity and sustainable development. This should be the right choice for all countries. We BRICS countries should firmly promote an open world economy, be resolute in rejecting unilateralism and protectionism, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and jointly steer the global economy toward greater openness, inclusiveness, balanced growth and win-win outcomes for all. We should ensure that economic globalization will deliver more benefits. We should help emerging markets and developing countries, African countries and the least developed countries in particular, fully involve themselves in international division of labor and share in the benefits of economic globalization.
Second, we should pursue innovation and seize development opportunities. Science and technology, as the primary production forces, have provided inexhaustible power driving progress of human civilization. Humanity had made giant leaps forward as it progressed from an agricultural civilization to an industrial civilization, a process which created both huge gains in social productivity and growing pains. The world today has once again reached a critical historic juncture. In the unfolding new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, new things will inevitably emerge and take the place of old ones. Indeed, this will be a difficult and painful process. But if countries succeed in seizing opportunities that have presented themselves, they will be able to achieve new dynamic growth and deliver better lives to their people.
In the face of new opportunities brought by new science and technology, every country has an equal right to development. Those who fail to keep abreast of the trend of the times will fall behind and become irrelevant. What we can and should do is to seize opportunities, increase input in innovation, focus on creating new areas of growth and replace old growth drivers with new ones. We should endeavor to advance structural reform, remove all institutional barriers to innovation and fully unlock innovation potential and energize the market. We should develop a global perspective, boost international exchanges and cooperation in innovation, and fully leverage each other's comparative strengths and resource endowment, so as to enable more countries and people to benefit from scientific and technological advances. At the same time, we should ease the impact of application of information technology, automation and smart technology on traditional industries and create new job opportunities in the process of fostering new industries.
Third, we should pursue inclusive growth to deliver benefits to people of all countries. Uneven and insufficient development is a common challenge facing all countries. The North-South gap, namely, the gap between developed countries and emerging markets and developing countries, remains huge. And there are also development gaps of varying degrees within countries.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a comprehensive action plan for the international community. We BRICS countries should, basing ourselves on our actual national conditions, follow the guidance of the 2030 Agenda as we pursue our own development strategies. We should put people first, ensure coordinated economic and social development and protect the environment, thus giving our people a stronger sense of fulfillment and happiness. We should ensure harmony between man and nature and encourage the international community to fully implement the Paris Agreement. We should treat nature with awe and do more to foster an ecological system conducive to green development. It is necessary to promote international development cooperation, urge developed countries to fulfill their promises on official development assistance and increase support to developing countries.
Home to more developing countries than any other continent, Africa has more development potential than any other region in the world. We should strengthen cooperation with Africa, support its development and make BRICS-Africa cooperation a model for South-South cooperation. We should actively carry out cooperation with African countries in such areas as poverty reduction, food security, innovation, infrastructure development and industrialization in a way compatible with their national conditions. We should help African countries develop their economic structure, contribute to the implementation of Agenda 2063 of the African Union and thus enable Africa, an ancient continent, to gain strong vitality.
Fourth, we should uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. An enabling and stable external environment is crucial for the development of all countries, especially emerging markets and developing countries. Obviously, the current international order is not a perfect one. But as long as it is rule-based, aims to be equitable and pursues win-win outcomes as its goal, such an international order should not be discarded at will, still less should it be dismantled and rebuilt all over again.
We BRICS countries must uphold multilateralism. We should urge all parties to fully observe collectively adopted international rules, and we should treat all countries as equals regardless of their size, address issues that matter to all through consultation and oppose hegemony and power politics. We should promote common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, get actively involved in mediation efforts for resolving geopolitical hotspot issues. It is important for us to firmly support the multilateral trading regime, advance global economic governance reform and increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries. When new rules are made on such issues as innovation, trade and investment and intellectual property protection or on new frontiers including cyberspace, outer space or the polar regions, we should make sure that the views of emerging markets and developing countries are heeded, their interests and demands are taken into consideration, and there are sufficient opportunities for their development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. Success only comes through hard work. During the past 40 years, China has come a long way. With strenuous efforts, China has blazed a path of building socialism with distinctive Chinese features. Proceeding from China's realities and developing a global vision, we in China have both drawn strength from the wisdom of the time-honored Chinese civilization and learned from other countries, both east and west. We have embraced the world and integrated our country fully into it. While pursuing its own development, China has also made important contribution to peace and development of mankind.
As the world's biggest developing country, China will ride the trend of the times and pursue innovation-driven, coordinated, green and open development for all. We will step up efforts to pursue innovation-driven development and fully engage in international cooperation on innovation and technologies. We will take an active part in South-South cooperation to foster greater opportunities for common development of emerging markets and developing countries.
China will continue to develop itself with its door wide open. At the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia held last April, I announced a number of new initiatives to open China further, and these initiatives are being speedily pursued. China will build a more investment-friendly environment that is aligned with international standards, more transparent and law-based and encourages competition and opposes monopoly. China will take tough law enforcement steps to strengthen protection of intellectual property rights and make IPR infringement even more costly. We encourage companies to maintain normal technological exchanges and cooperation, and will see to it that their lawful intellectual property rights are protected. China will also increase imports to promote balance of payment under the current account.
China will host the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai this November, a major move to firmly support trade liberalization and open its market. The Expo will serve as a new platform for the world to access the Chinese market. By now, over 130 countries and regions and more than 2,800 companies have confirmed participation and over 150,000 buyers in and outside China are expected to attend this fair. I welcome business leaders from other BRICS and African countries to attend the Expo.
China will continue to vigorously pursue the Belt and Road Initiative to create new opportunities of social and economic development for participating countries and for them to implement the UN 2030 Agenda. The Belt and Road Initiative, guided by the principle of seeking shared benefits through extensive consultation and joint contribution, originated in China but belongs to the world. It is our sincere hope that other BRICS countries, African countries and other emerging markets and developing countries will forge strong partnerships with this initiative so that its benefits will reach more countries and their peoples.
China and African countries are destined to be good friends, good brothers and good partners, and China-Africa cooperation stands as a fine example of South-South cooperation. This coming September will see a reunion of China and African countries at the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing. Themed on "China and Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation," the Beijing Summit aims to enhance complementarity between China-Africa joint efforts to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative, the 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda on the one hand and the development strategies of African countries on the other. This will enable China and Africa to pursue high quality and high standard cooperation for mutual benefit and common development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Business cooperation is the most important and fruitful aspect of BRICS cooperation. Thanks to our joint efforts, new advances have been made in this cooperation this year. We BRICS countries will forge a partnership on the new industrial revolution, which involves more coordination of macro economic policies, closer cooperation on innovation and industrialization and joint efforts to accelerate economic upgrading and the replacement of growth drivers. Our five BRICS countries have also made good progress in cooperation on trade facilitation, service trade, e-commerce, intellectual property rights and in other fields. These steps will enable us to seize opportunities and meet challenges in a changing world and enrich the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy.
The business community is the mainstay of BRICS economic cooperation and a dynamic force driving it. As business leaders, you have a great role to play in shaping the second Golden Decade of BRICS cooperation. I hope that you will fully leverage your strengths to enhance win-win cooperation for common development between our five countries. As business leaders, you should take bold steps to explore new ground in pursuing reform and innovation. And working together, you can surely open up new horizon for the development of our five countries and other emerging markets and developing countries. I also hope you will keep in mind the needs of the people and pursue both economic and social returns, so as to increase public support for BRICS cooperation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. Let me quote one of his famous sayings, "After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb." Indeed, the history of BRICS cooperation is a journey of our five countries climbing great hills only to reach new heights. I am convinced that when our five countries forge ahead together, we will scale new peaks, reach new heights, and make even greater contribution to peace and development of mankind.
Thank you.
***
Vladimir Putin made a video address to guests and participants in the BRICS Business Forum, which is traditionally held ahead of the BRICS summit.
The 15th BRICS summit is taking place on August 22–24 in Johannesburg (South Africa). The theme of the session is “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.” The leaders of the Group of Five will discuss current international and regional challenges, as well as achievements and goals of the BRICS strategic partnership in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian areas. Special attention will be paid to issues of BRICS institutional development, including expansion of the association and creation of payment infrastructure resistant to external risks.
* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Esteemed President Ramaphosa, ladies and gentlemen, friends,
I am pleased to greet representatives of government institutions and business, specialists and industry experts who have gathered for this meeting of the BRICS Business Forum.
I would like to note that holding such business forums on a regular basis, along with the systemic work of the BRICS Business Council, which brings together top businessmen and heads of major companies of the five countries, plays an immense practical role in promoting mutual trade and investments, enhancing cooperation ties and expanding direct dialogue among the business communities – and thus effectively contributes to accelerated socio-economic growth of our states and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is important that this Forum focuses on such pressing issues as the post-pandemic economic recovery of the BRICS states, improvement of citizens' well-being, industrial modernization, development of effective transport and logistics chains, and stimulation of equitable technology transfers.
These challenging and complex tasks need to be tackled against the backdrop of the increasing volatility in stock, currency, energy and food markets, coupled with substantial inflationary pressure stemming from, inter alia, the irresponsible large-scale money creation by a number of countries seeking to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, which has led to the accumulation of private and public debt.
The global economic situation is also seriously affected by the illegitimate sanctions practice and illegal freezing of assets of sovereign states, which essentially amounts to the trampling upon all the basic norms and rules of free trade and economic life – norms and rules that not so long ago seemed immutable.
Shortage of resources, growing inequality, rising unemployment, and aggravation of other chronic problems in the global economy are the direct consequences of this. Prices for food, basic agricultural products and crops are forced up, making the most vulnerable, poor countries suffer the most.
Importantly, under these circumstances, the BRICS states have stepped up their interaction, and our joint work to ensure economic growth and sustainable development brings concrete, tangible results. More and more new infrastructure and investment projects are being launched, mutual trade is growing, industry contacts are expanding.
The main thing is that our cooperation is based on the principles of equality, partner support, and respect for each other's interests. And that is what lies at the core of our Association's forward-looking strategic course – the course that reflects the aspirations of most of the world’s community, the so-called global majority.
The figures speak for themselves. Over the last decade, mutual investments among the BRICS countries have increased six-fold. Their overall investments in global economy have doubled, and their total exports have reached 20 percent of the world exports.
As for Russia, the trade volume with our BRICS partners has increased by 40.5 percent, reaching a record of over 230 billion US dollars. In the first half of this year it grew by 35.6 percent compared with the same period in 2022 and constituted 134.7 billion US dollars.
I would also like to point out that the share of the BRICS countries, with their population totalling more than three billion people, now accounts for nearly 26 percent of the global GDP; our five countries are ahead of the G7 in terms of purchasing power parity (the forecast for 2023 is 31.5 percent against 30 percent).
The objective and irreversible process of the de-dollarization of our economic ties is gaining pace. We are working to fine-tune effective mechanisms for mutual settlements and monetary and financial control. As a result, the share of US dollar in export and import operations within BRICS is declining: last year it stood at only 28.7 percent.
Incidentally, during this summit we will discuss in detail the entire range of issues related to the transition to national currencies in all areas of economic cooperation between our five nations. The BRICS New Development Bank, which has already become a credible alternative to existing Western development institutions, has a great role to play in these efforts.
It is only natural that enhancing connectivity and creating new sustainable traffic arteries have become a shared priority in cooperation between our five countries. In this context, the BRICS Business Council's initiative to work out modern intermodal logistics solutions and develop railway transport corridors is of particular importance.
For its part, Russia actively works to redirect its traffic and logistics flows to reliable foreign partners, including in the BRICS states. Our flagship projects include the Northern Sea Route and the new International North‑South Transport Corridor. These two major transport arteries aim to provide the shortest and most cost-effective trade routes to link major industrial, agricultural and energy hubs with consumer markets.
With regard to the Northern Sea Route, I would like to emphasize that Russia has already adopted and launched a large-scale, multi-year plan to develop its infrastructure. We intend to build fuel terminals, hub ports to ensure connections with road and rail transport. The icebreaking fleet is being expanded, first of all by commissioning nuclear-powered vessels that have no analogues in the world.
As for the North‑South Transport Corridor, it will connect Russian ports on the Arctic seas and the Baltic Sea with offshore terminals in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, thereby providing opportunities to increase cargo transportation between Eurasian and African countries. Besides, this will certainly give impetus to developing new industrial, trade and logistics facilities along the route.
Russia stands for greater cooperation within BRICS as regards reliable and uninterrupted supplies of energy and food resources to the world markets. We are consistently increasing supplies of fuel, agricultural products and fertilizers to countries in the Global South, making a significant contribution to strengthening global food and energy security, addressing acute humanitarian issues and fighting hunger and poverty in countries in need.
All these issues, in particular, were discussed in depth at the recent Russia–Africa Summit. For example, last year trade in agricultural products between Russia and African states grew by 10 percent and amounted to 6.7 billion US dollars. And in January-June this year, it increased by another record 60 percent. Our country is and will remain a responsible supplier of food to the African continent.
Russian grain exports to Africa amounted to 11.5 million tonnes in 2022 and almost 10 million tonnes in the first six months of 2023. This is despite the unlawful sanctions imposed on us that seriously hinder the export of Russian food products and complicate transport logistics, insurance and bank payments.
Russia is being deliberately obstructed in the supply of grain and fertilizers abroad and at the same time we are hypocritically blamed for the current crisis situation on the world market. This has been clearly seen in the implementation of the so-called ”grain deal“ concluded with the participation of the UN Secretariat and initially aimed at ensuring global food security, reducing the threat of hunger and providing aid to the poorest countries.
We have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that in a year under the deal, a total of 32.8 million tonnes of cargo has been exported from Ukraine, of which over 70 percent have reached high- and upper-middle-income countries, including the European Union. And only about three percent have gone to the least developed countries – that is, less than one million tonnes.
None of the terms of the so-called deal concerning the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russian exports of grain and fertilizers to world markets have been fulfilled. Obligations to Russia in this regard have been simply ignored. Even our free transfer of mineral fertilizers blocked in European ports has been obstructed. In fact, this is a purely humanitarian campaign that should not in principle be subject to any sanctions.
With these facts in mind, since July 18, we have refused to further extend the so-called deal. And we will be ready to get back to it, but only if all obligations to the Russian side are actually fulfilled.
I have repeatedly said that our country has the capacity to replace Ukrainian grain, both commercially and as free aid to needy countries, especially since our harvest is again expected to be perfect this year. As a first step, we have decided to gratuitously provide six African countries with 25‑50 thousand tonnes of grain each with free delivery of these cargoes. Negotiations with partners are being completed.
Among the priority areas of interaction we also see further coordination of approaches of the BRICS members on the subject of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. This is an important part of the overall economic agenda of the Group of Five, which implies assistance to the widest circles of citizens engaged in business activity as regards administrative and tax regulation, digitalization, e-commerce, and participation in the value chains.
I would note that thanks to the state support programmes, the entrepreneurs from the BRICS countries successfully adapt to the constantly changing situation in the global markets. They find new partners and new sales channels, attract additional funding and use more actively modern technologies.
It is equally important to continue developing cooperation within BRICS in terms of decarbonizing the economy, reducing human impact on nature and adapting to the changing climate. Russia is ready to work jointly to promote more balanced approaches to the climate change in the international arena.
Our country is consistently implementing the National Low-Carbon Development Strategy. We plan to reach carbon neutrality of the Russian economy not later than 2060, including through the introduction of technological innovations, modernization of infrastructure for access to affordable and clean energy, conservation of ecosystems on land and sea. We understand that the implementation of the climate goals can be facilitated by a variety of technologies, including those that have been in use for a long time already, such as nuclear generation, hydropower and gas motor fuel.
To sum it up, I would like to reiterate that the multifaceted partnership and cooperation within the BRICS not only makes a significant contribution to ensuring the sustainable growth of our states but also generally promotes global economic recovery and successful achievement of global development goals and targets set by the United Nations – to fight poverty, expand people's access to quality healthcare, eradicate hunger and improve food security.
Therefore, I am confident that the BRICS Business Forum and Business Council will continue their creative work aimed at expanding contacts between the business circles of the Group of Five countries and jointly implementing new mutually beneficial projects.
In conclusion, I would like to invite representatives of your countries’ business circles to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia that will take place on September 10–13 in the city of Vladivostok, where, by tradition, the discussions will focus on issues that are also of interest to the business communities of the BRICS countries.
Thank you for your attention.
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