We'll see where time leads us and then decide whether we do a second round. Mr. President, I'll hand over to you to kick us off. Thank you. >> So, what do they want to know? >> Thank you for coming and for being here. We we've just as you know concluded Brick Summit. uh in a way we were also celebrating the 20th anniversary of bricks of the existence of bricks but this time around it was also special because it is the expanded bricks. We had new countries and that added to a wonderful political flavor and depth of discussions and in the this brick summit we were able to adopt a declaration. When many thought that we would not succeed in adopting a declaration, we did. And in that regard we congratulate all BRICS members but also especially India for hosting a very successful brick summit. Everything was so well arranged. They were able to lead us in holding the 350 meetings or so in 30 cities and that takes a lot of doing by any host of a huge summit like this. We were also particularly pleased that we were joined by partner countries who also were in attendance and that included the participation of the secretary general of the United Nations, the director general of the World Trade Organization, the director general of the World Health Organization and other related organizations. And the decisions that emerged out of here are all encompassing the declaration. But what really stood out was our to focus on advancing global governance of the multilateral system. And all of us are saying that we adhere to a multilateral system where there is no dominance of one player or country over others where we want countries that are in bricks and indeed countries outside of bricks as well to respect one another to respect the sovereignty of each of all our countries in the world and in doing so to focus on the advancement of the economies of our countries and also improving the lives of our people. And that to me was the key and central issue because we now live in a world that faces a lot of challenges, conflicts uh at the geopolitical level and being able to reconfirm as a bricks family that we would want a multilateral system without any dominance by any And where for instance all of us did confirm that we want a multi-olar world, a world that will live in harmony that will advance the interests of each one of us. The beauty about bricks is that we are a collection of countries that have different histories that represent countries in different continents that represent countries with different cultures, different languages. But it is our diversity that unites us rather than divides us. And that diversity is the strength that bricks gives us. But it also gives countries that are members of bricks. Confidence confidence to be able to know that their voices will be heard in the crafting of the rules that should govern a multilateral system. And the other important thing for us is that as BRICS nations, we want to see cooperation at a number of levels being increased and improved not only at the economic level but at the social level as well. but also touching on scientific cooperation, technological advancement where we should cooperate, the digital economy and also focusing on artificial intelligence. We as South Africa voiced our recognition about the importance of artificial intelligence. But we also said whilst it gives us a great opportunity to advance our economies and our social life, we should also focus on the concerns that are also being raised by the developers of artificial intelligence who are saying artificial intelligence whilst it can advance our interests, it also has dangers if it is not controlled and that we should have safeguards around artificial intelligence and our governments should learn to understand what AI is. They should get involved. We should not have an AI ecosystem that is completely out of control because AI has the possibility of being able to raise a number of dangers. cyber security, biological weapons and dangers such as that. So therefore, governments do need to get involved. That is view that South Africa put forward. We also argued that bricks should raise the issue at an international level as well. So all in all our view is that we had a very good summit summit that uh brings together countries that represent 50% of the world's population and also represents 25% of the GDP of the world. Now that is a body that has a great deal of impact but the impact is a positive one. It talks about all countries seeking to improve the well-being of humanity and none of the countries seeking to dominate any of the members of bricks. So that is the beauty of what bricks is all about. So we go home to South Africa feeling that bricks for us as South Africa is a good organization to belong to. It is an organization that will continue to advance South Africa's interests when it comes to investment to trade to science and technology to education to health and whilst people may not immediately feel all those very important benefits in the end what bricks contributes is uh contribut ution of our own economy. We trade with many of the BRICS countries and that alone gives us a very powerful platform as South Africa to be part of bricks and we look forward to China hosting in 2027 and South Africa will then host in 2028. So for us BRICS is a very good collection of countries to belong to. Thank you. Thank you very much Mr. President. Um we'll now take a round of question. We'll start with Melissa Yushi and Sudi and then we'll we'll come back again. So if you can just please introduce yourselves the media houses and then fire off your question. Melissa, >> you come from home. >> Correct. I'm from TVs Africa. I we we based in South Africa. So I would like to ask your excellency beyond the diplomatic engagements beyond the declaration for South Africans watching back home. What have they concretely gained from this 18 summit? >> Well, as I was saying, the benefits may not be immediately obvious, but what we have gained, you could say, at the diplomatic level, but it goes beyond the diplomatic level. When we were here, we had occasion to participate in the BRICS business council. The Brisk bricks business council brings together various businesses from all the BRICS countries who come together to discuss the economic opportunities that are given rise to in the various BIRCs countries on trade and on just investments. We also had an opportunity to meet to have what we call a South Africa India business uh round table where we met businesses that are invested in South Africa from India and businesses that are invested in India from South Africa but also businesses that want to invest in South Africa from India and these are multinational businesses and they have a keen interest to invest in South Africa. They were very appreciative of the transformation and reforms that we've been going through and they see that as a great encouragement for them to come and invest. So when we travel as we do now go to summits such as bricks and bricks is by far the most important one for us. Uh we we actually meet those who have money and attract them to come and invest. So that is the benefit and when they come to invest the investments are accompanied by job creation and that is the great benefit and those who trade with South Africa were able to sell our goods to them and that is what some of those businesses came to hear and to listen to. So the benefits we may not be able to count them today but we are able [clears throat] to count them in terms of the businesses that have invested that still want to continue and those that are going to come and invest. And we we also had discussions with the government of India and we discussed a variety of issues such as uh how they are making great progress in supporting their startups. So we want to learn from them and so what do we do? We take their good ideas, we take them home and we also uh improve our startups ecosystem and so the benefits are are quite diverse and they do lead to uh getting us to move ahead at a number of levels. >> Excellency, good evening. This is Aushia Dhwal. I work for a news agency Asian News International and I have a question for you sir. In your initial remarks you said that the consensus looked a little difficult in the beginning but New Delhi has managed to bring very different countries together around the New Delhi declaration. Uh from South Africa's perspective what has India done particularly well as bricks chair and what should be carried forward into the next presidency? Also you had a meeting with Prime Minister Modi can tell us how >> uh what India has done well was to organize a extremely well organized summit. Organizing summits is always a touch and go type of process. There are many uh things that could go wrong. Nothing went wrong. Uh so we congratulate India for doing so. But we also congratulate India for giving leadership throughout this whole process. when a host uh convenes a summit they take the reigns of leadership they direct the discussions and they also cajul everyone towards a decision so that's what India has done extremely well whilst all countries have to cooperate and reach consensus they need a focal point and India was the focal point and the leading uh light in all this. So we really congratulate Prime Minister Nandra Modi and uh all his various ministers. They have done extremely well in our bilateral with uh Prime Minister. We reflected on the relationship between South Africa and India and did say that it is a special and strategic relationship. The relationship really got seriously underway in 1997 when President Mandela was here. We signed a strategic agreement. They call it the red fort declaration in 1997. Prime Minister Modi commented that we'll be celebrating 30 years of this strategic relationship and I promptly invited him to come to South Africa next year so that we can together celebrate the strategic partnership between South Africa and India and to come if possible uh on Nelson Mandela's birthday so that we celebrate the great man but we also Alo spoke about the Gandhi Mandela scholarship that has been in operation for a while. So we will want to do more around these two great leaders of our two great nations. And we touched on trade issues, investment issues and how we can deepen our relationship uh at an economic level. Of course, we congratulated India for its space exploration activities. Uh India in the developing uh economy world apart from China is is showing the leadership and we can see that the two countries are giving great leadership uh also in a number of areas. Technologically you can see that India is moving ahead doing many strides in agriculture. They have empowered a lot of smallcale farmers, women especially and there's a lot that we can learn from them. So it was a very good bilateral very relaxed and very purposeful as well. >> Mr. President, thank you so much for doing this and thank you to your team for, you know, taking the time and giving us the opportunity. I want to draw your attention to the finance part of it. Was there any discussion on local currency trade, central banks linking up payment system? Where do you see bricks in that in this area and where would you want it to be? And this is not about I'm not asking ddollarization just local currency and central banks easing up payments within British countries. Well, I was not going to go to dolarization. >> I mean, >> yeah, but we we we have discussed uh our desire to have a local currency payment systems and our central banks have been in discussion about this and I do believe that uh we going to reach an agreement on this matter. is very important because it's important to enhance trade rather than be against another payment system or another currency. We see this as enhancing trade amongst us as countries. I I told Prime Minister Modi that I've actually um tested it. I bought books and I paid in local currency. You can't get better than that. So I've already tested that and I see it works. Uh my payment on the card went through without any hiccup. I paid in rupees and uh so the translation will be in South African brands. So so we must and we we are moving in that direction. Yeah. >> Thank you. Uh we'll now go to Ulana and then we'll go to Sanit and go to Ishika. So, you want to start? >> Thank you so much, your excellency. My name is Ulana. I'm from Russian state media called Ria Novesty. Thank you so much for having us. >> Not Pravda. >> Yes, it's true. >> It is Pravda. >> No, it's a different [laughter] >> I thought you were speaking Russian to me. Not Prada means, >> is it true? [laughter] >> I was very >> No, no, my my brother knows Russian. I don't react. [laughter] Okay. >> Okay. Okay. Sorry. >> Okay. Back to business. Um, [laughter] on the sidelines of the brick summit, you also had a bilateral meeting with my president, President Vladimir Putin. Yes. In your talks, uh, did you touch on the issue of uh, Ukraine? And how could BRICS and South Africa participate in the peace building uh, process >> in our bilateral with President Putin? Yes, we did touch on a variety of issues uh including you know trade relations between our two countries, investment relations and we did touch on the question of Ukraine and as you might recall South Africa participated with a number of African countries on a peace mission uh to Russia and to Ukraine where our central message was would like to see the conflict being negotiated and that we should have a peace outcome, peace solution. Uh in our discussions, President Putin briefed us about the various processes that are underway uh with various parties to foster peace, to foster a settlement. And we took comfort from the fact that uh there are discussions going on. And we also raised our hope and desire uh that we would like to see this conflict coming to an end because it continues to affect us. um not even indirectly but directly because we get fertilizers from that part of the world and grain and those prices have gone up and the sooner the war is settled the better because then it has an impact on the cost of living for our people in Africa but also especially in South Africa. So we did discuss that and I was very impressed with President Putin's expression of a desire to have that conflict also settled. >> Thank you Sange. >> Yeah. Uh thank you Mr. President. I am Sange from business world. So you had a bilateral with Prime Minister Modi. You had any talk with to improve the bilateral uh trade with India because it is around 15 trillion uh US dollar. Uh I guess this is very less um we can have later uh our potential and in which areas. >> Yeah, we we did talk about um the trade relations and the trade activity between South Africa and India and we both said there needs to be improvement. There's huge scope for improvement. Both countries need to be trading more and more. We are strategic partners. Uh by the way, we also took time to thank him and India as a whole for the support that they rendered to the people of South Africa during their very difficult days of struggle against an oppressive system uh of apartate. Uh but we we we did feel quite strongly that we now need to focus on areas in which we can improve trade. uh and there were quite a number of areas uh in the various sectors of our economy uh be it in you know food security uh we need to do more uh be it in various industries infrastructure uh your companies are very wellversed in infrastructure projects uh be they on renewable energy uh be it on the building of roads and so on So uh we did identify a number of areas where there can be great improvement uh in enhancing the economic uh and trade relations between our two countries. >> Shika and Shaka. >> Hello Mr. President. I'm Shaka from NDTV. My question to you sir is that according to you how do you think that the world today sees Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and also do you feel that India's position uh has changed under him when we talk about influence on the global stage >> well India it's not only the biggest country in terms of population has even surpassed uh another big country but it has also grown in influence and Prime Minister Modi uh is regarded as a world leader, leader who is also visionary uh who many people regard as a leader who has quite a lot of influence. So I must say that it's been a joy for us uh in South Africa to work with him. uh he's very practical, very forwardlooking and uh he's a man who is full of ideas. He wants to see things getting done and we can already see with the changes that he has brought about in India. So it is all very positive. Yeah. >> So this is uh Mr. President, good evening. This is Sat Sharma from Republic Media Network. Uh sir my first question will be very specific to the uh United Nations Security Council. India has been pushing not only for the permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council but also has been uh an advocate for uh for broader representation of developing countries in that and I believe South Africa has been on the same page on that. uh did you have anything any specific discussion in the bilateral meeting about uh broadening the representation of developing countries in the United Nations Security Council? >> Our discussions on things like the United Nations are part and parcel of multilateralism. uh even as we participated in the session of uh global governance, we all spoke about the importance of uh broadening representation of uh countries that are not represented in the United Nations Security Council. And both of us have advocated for the expansion and the reform of the United Nations. And so that is normal as we hold meetings between the two of us because we are joined uh on that issue. And you might well know that we are so well aligned on a number of issues with India. uh when when we were going through COVID uh we together and jointly worked together to get the WTO rules and regulations amended to allow developing economy countries to be able to develop and make vaccines, manufacture vaccines and we worked extremely well together. So at an ideological as well as at a diplomatic level uh we are able to find one another and speak with one voice and we are also able to take practical steps of being able to work together. So even on this issue of the reform of the security council of the United Nations, we are walking in tandem and voicing our displeasure uh with the current status of the United Nations Security Council. So we want to see changes and this is a message that we articulate jointly. >> President, the colleagues have been working too hard all day. I think they're happy now. Um, I don't see any other hand. >> It's a pity I wanted to go on for two more hours. [laughter] >> There's one more from the >> one more question quick and short. Will South Africa see a direct flight from South Africa to India anytime soon? >> That is one of the issues that we raised and discussed and there are negotiations that are underway. But we also now that you raised the issue, there are negotiations on just the trade so that our trade is is much more uh effective and impactful between India and Saku the South Southern African customs union and between South Africa and India. Uh we're also talking about a direct flight. It takes us how many hours? like 18 hours to get here and yet it should take only take us 8 hours to get here. >> So that's was one of the issues we raised. >> I'm sure you would like a a direct flight, isn't it? Yes. >> So I'm sorry if you could clarify. So on the central banks of bricks, uh is there anybody in the bricks not very keen to link up the central banks for payments in local? >> None. None. We're all aligned. >> All >> okay. That note, thank you very much, Mr. President. Colleagues, thank you.