STORY: BRICS becomes increasingly important in addressing global challenges: experts
DATELINE: Aug. 24, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:21
LOCATION: JOHANNESBURG/ISTANBUL
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of streets of Johannesburg
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SELCUK COLAKOGLU, Director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GWEDE MANTASHE, South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): THABO SEPHUMA, Donor Relations & Fundraising at Nelson Mandela Foundation

STORYLINE:

As the BRICS Summit gets underway in South Africa, international observers say that the BRICS mechanism has become increasingly important in addressing challenges facing the world.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SELCUK COLAKOGLU, Director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies
"The BRICS platform is very important to represent or address the issues of the global environment, and also they track to find some solutions for these issues. This is also showing how the BRICS has become an influential forum. The BRICS is a relatively young organization, but despite (the fact that) it is a newly founded organization, it has become more popular globally and also attracts more countries to be involved in the BRICS as full members or as partners."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GWEDE MANTASHE, South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
"The bigger the BRICS, the better it is. In the latest geopolitical developments, we must tilt the balance of forces in favor of progressive forces and that is what the BRICS stands for."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): THABO SEPHUMA, Donor Relations & Fundraising at Nelson Mandela Foundation
"I think it'll be more critical between the BRICS community to be able to come together, share ideas, stand by each other, support each other to grow and get out of the economic challenges that we're facing."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Johannesburg/Istanbul.
(XHTV)