Momentum shifts to the south

BRICS is promoting cooperation for development rather than dependency on assistance in its ties with Africa

With the theme "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialization", the fifth BRICS summit opened in Durban, South Africa, on Tuesday.

As Africa's largest economy, South Africa's accession to BRICS in 2010 was not only an important channel for the BRIC countries -Brazil, Russia, India and China - to further strengthen cooperation with Africa as a whole, it also enabled the grouping to become a cooperation mechanism covering Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. Welcoming South Africa into the group of leading developing economies also reflected the rise in Africa's comprehensive strength in recent years and was recognition of the continent's development potential.