Meeting in Brazil, Brics foreign ministers fail to issue joint statement
Objections to expansion of UN Security Council by new, African members overshadowed consensus on ‘protectionist’ trade measures.
Opposition from some African nations to United Nations Security Council reform blocked a joint declaration at a Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, exposing divisions as the bloc expands and undermining efforts by Brazil to project unity.
The two-day gathering of the Brics officials – representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and six newer members including Egypt and Ethiopia – ended without a consensus document, a rare breakdown in what was expected to be a show of cooperation with the Global South.
The failure to produce a joint statement followed disagreements over language related to reform of the UN Security Council, a long-time ambition of Brazil, India and South Africa.
Egypt and Ethiopia objected to references that appeared to endorse these countries’ bids for permanent seats, with Cairo reportedly insisting that the Brics forum was not the appropriate venue for such discussions.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a letter to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in an unsuccessful bid to urge el-Sisi’s government to drop the opposition, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported, citing diplomatic sources.