Amid geopolitical tensions, the foreign ministers of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) met in Cape Town on Thursday for two days of talks. It was an opportunity to "reflect on regional and global developments," it was said at the start.

Claudia Bröll

Political correspondent for Africa based in Cape Town.

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Foreign ministers, including Russia's Sergey Lavrov, want to prepare for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August. Important issues include the admission of new members and, in the longer term, possibly a common currency.

More than 20 countries have formally or informally applied for membership, including Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, said South Africa's BRICS ambassador Anil Sooklal. The interest shows a growing trust in the group of states, which is campaigning for a reform of the multilateral system in order to give the governments of the global South more say.

Stress test for South Africa

With regard to the war in Ukraine, the ambassador said that the foreign ministers would deal with this, but also with many other conflicts in the world. The group of states is fundamentally committed to "peaceful solutions through political dialogue". Russia is part of the "BRICS family", in which all members have an equal say and are treated equally.

For the host South Africa, the BRICS summit in August is likely to be a tough test for relations with Western economic partners. As a state party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the South African authorities would be obliged to arrest the Russian president upon entry.

However, an arrest is considered highly unlikely. South Africa continues to strive for friendly relations with Russia. Currently, a team of experts is looking for legal ways to avoid arrest without violating the Rome Statute of the ICC. A relocation of the summit to China or Mozambique is also reportedly being discussed.

15 counterparts from Africa and other countries of the Global South were also invited to the Foreign Ministers' Meeting as "Friends of the BRICS". China has sent Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu to South Africa.