Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated for stronger bonds with African nations in his speech at the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg. The BRICS consortium comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, representing the world’s foremost emerging economies. Currently encompassing 40% of the global population and contributing over 30% to worldwide economic output, the coalition has received membership applications from more than 20 nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Lula da Silva underscored Africa’s significance, asserting that “Brazil is returning to the continent it should never have departed from. Africa presents extensive opportunities and immense growth potential.” He also emphasized the BRICS’s capacity to shape worldwide development, noting that these member countries collectively constitute a third of the global economy.
Significantly, Lula da Silva’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, did not undertake a visit to Africa during his four-year tenure. The BRICS Business Forum was attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent, their representatives participated in the event.