STORY: Int'l observers applaud BRICS expansion
DATELINE: Aug. 25, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:54
LOCATION: JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Johannesburg and 15th BRICS Summit
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MAHMOUD ABOU-ZEID, South African reporter
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): WILLIAM JONES, Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): CAVINCE ADHERE, Kenya-based international relations scholar
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
9. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): WILLIAM JONES, Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review

STORYLINE:

Observers around the world speak highly of the achievements made by the 15th BRICS Summit, which concluded Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

BRICS leaders have agreed to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to join the group.

Their membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. The decision has been widely welcomed.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
"We think this is huge. This is massive. It was always significant and strong and a powerful voice for the Global South. It has now reached another level."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MAHMOUD ABOU-ZEID, South African reporter
"I think it's exciting. I think it's important that BRICS expands. Change has to happen in order for prosperity to reach poor nations and ease of trade between countries is very important."

Experts say BRICS has been committed to promoting the inclusive development of Global South countries, and its efforts have been applauded.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
"BRICS is the hope of the future. Imagine this world without BRICS, what would the countries of the (Global) South do? We don't have any central gravitational force that pulls and brings us all together as a united powerful force, and BRICS is that center of gravity today for the Global South, so everyone wants to gravitate and be part of BRICS because of what we have stood for, and the fact that we are a powerful grouping that no one can ignore."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): WILLIAM JONES, Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review
"This will be a message of peace. It will be a message of harmony, and it will be a message of development. And this is a message which is going to go out all over the world, and they (BRICS countries) will be playing a role in determining the rules of the road as the world moves forward."

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): CAVINCE ADHERE, Kenya-based international relations scholar
"I think the idea of BRICS gives these countries a new opportunity to work together to overcome their development challenges. It provides them with the market, it provides them with resources, it provides them with the inspiration."

Experts believe that the fruitful outcomes yielded at the 15th BRICS Summit have also boosted worldwide confidence in the bloc's future.

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
"We look forward to new and bigger things, to elevating the level of cooperation amongst the BRICS countries, including the new family members that we've now admitted. The future looks bright. This has been the most significant and historic BRICS Summit."

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
"BRICS is about partnership, it's about cooperation, it's about working together. And I think this gives us an opportunity to strengthen the interaction between Africa and BRICS."

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): WILLIAM JONES, Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review
"That's what you'll see coming out of this conference, a very extensive discussion of how the world should look in order to create development for all the countries, and create a more egalitarian, equal, fair, and just world system."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa.
(XHTV)