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Host South Africa Gears Up For Brics Summit 2023

The Brics nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will be meeting at the Brics summit hosted by South Africa on August 22-24, 2023. One of the main focus points will be the push for more trade among Brics nations in local currencies and reducing the reliance on the U.S. dollar.

The planning for this summit was thrown into disarray after South Africa issued an invitation to Russian president, Vladimir Putin to attend in person. The International Criminal Court in The Hague soon thereafter issued an arrest warrant for Putin, alleging war crimes against Ukraine. Russia has been waging a war with Ukraine since February 24, 2022. South Africa has claimed neutrality on the war, but this did not remove the diplomatic headache should Putin arrive in South Africa.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch tabled legislation in Congress, aimed at shifting the 2023 African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) forum that will be hosted by South Africa, to another country, because of South Africa's close association with Russia. AGOA allows South Africa duty free trade on the first 25% of its goods exported to the U.S., wrote Esther Rose for AllAfrica on July 13, 2023.

Meanwhile, Putin has decided to attend the Brics summit via video link while sending Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to attend in his place.

InFocus

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Flags of Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa - member countries of Brics.

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