Monday, November 20, 2023
The BRICS group of nations is expected to gather for an Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East Situation on Tuesday .
This is according to a statement released by the Presidency on Monday .
The gathering will be convened by current BRICS chair President Cyril Ramaphosa .
“Leaders of BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – will join the virtual Extraordinary Meeting with invited BRICS leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates .
“President Ramaphosa will deliver opening remarks at the BRICS Extraordinary Meeting, where member and invited States will also deliver country statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza .
“United Nations Secretary General António Guterres will participate in the virtual meeting, at the end of which leaders are expected to adopt a Joint Statement on the situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to Gaza,” the Presidency said in a statement .
Some 1 200 people in Israel and a further 11 000 in Gaza have been killed since the beginning of the conflict on October 7 .
Earlier on Monday morning, through his weekly newsletter, President Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa’s position on the conflict .
President Ramaphosa said: “As a government and as a people, we stand firm in our call for justice for the oppressed Palestinian people, for their rights and aspirations to be fulfilled, for the immediate cessation of hostilities, and for there to be accountability for the deplorable killings of civilians in this recent conflict .
We maintain that peace will not be possible until Palestinians are free .
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