Egypt Participate in BRICS Meetings

 Egypt, having recently become a full member of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc from January 1, 2024, marked its inaugural participation in the BRICS meetings. Ambassador Raji El-Ittirby, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Economic Relations and Egypt's representative to BRICS, attended the personal representatives' meetings of BRICS leaders in Moscow in late January. This historic event was also attended by Ambassador Nazih El-Naggary, Egypt's Ambassador in Moscow.

Meeting Highlights:

Ambassador El-Ittirby emphasized that this meeting was the first in a series of events and activities organized by the Russian BRICS presidency for the current year. The objective is to discuss and enhance cooperation across various domains. This initiative followed invitations extended by the founding BRICS countries to several nations, including Egypt, the UAE, Iran, and Ethiopia, to join the BRICS membership.

Strategic Alignment:

The Ambassador highlighted that Egypt's membership in BRICS aligns with its strategic significance on diverse fronts. He underlined Egypt's substantial contributions to regional and international peace and development. Furthermore, Egypt seeks to leverage its economic opportunities to attract investments from BRICS countries and bolster trade relationships. The Egyptian priorities within BRICS include advancing industrial transformation, intensifying cooperation in energy, food security, technology transfer, and logistics.

Action Plan and Future Summit:

The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the meeting provided an overview of the Russian BRICS presidency's action plan for the current year. This plan is designed to lead up to the 16th BRICS summit, scheduled for October 2024 in Kazan, Russia. During the meeting, member countries presented their visions regarding priorities for the upcoming period.

Egyptian Proposals and Support:

Ambassador El-Ittirby noted that Egyptian proposals aimed at enhancing cooperation and coordination among BRICS nations received widespread support. These proposals include supporting mechanisms for coordinating global economic system reforms, efforts to increase representation of developing countries in international financial and monetary frameworks, strengthening ties between BRICS and the African continent, establishing institutional links between investment entities in BRICS countries, and working on developing payment systems between member states using national currencies.

Egypt's participation in the BRICS meetings signifies a new chapter in its engagement with this influential bloc. The alignment of priorities and the positive reception of Egyptian proposals indicate the potential for fruitful collaboration, not only within BRICS but also in contributing to global economic stability and development. The upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan is expected to serve as a crucial platform for further discussions and initiatives.