By Rhod Mackenzie
The Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik will take part in the events of the BRICS summit in South Africa. This was announced today, on August 16, by the press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Anatoly Glaz.
“We have received our invitation,and our delegation is looking forward to being there. The main theme of the upcoming summit meeting is understandable to us”, - he said, adding that the Belarusian side will take part in the events of this organization of such a level for the first time.
According to him, the summit will be held under the slogan "BRICS and Africa: a partnership for joint accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism." Glaz also specified that Aleinik headed the Belarusian delegation on the direct instructions of the head of state Alexander Lukashenko. It is planned that the Belarusian minister will hold a number of meetings with his counterparts from other states on the sidelines of the summit in Johannesburg.
The BRICS summit is scheduled for August 22-24. It will be attended by the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa. Russia will be represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Around 23 other countries that have applied for membership will attend plus the heads of various other African countries and organisations.