The 15th BRICS Summit was held in South Africa from 22 to 24 August. Prior to the summit, South Africa found itself in hot water with some of its trade partners, who expressed concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation for the event. Ultimately, South Africa issued a warrant of arrest for Putin if he were to come to South Africa, as per the International Criminal Court, to which South Africa is a party. Despite the early hiccups, the BRICS Summit seemingly ran smoothly, without any major upsets. Numerous topics were discussed at the summit, including the creation of a regional currency. However, of most significant notice, perhaps, were the discussions surrounding regional trade.
Trade between South Africa and the other BRICS countries, which also include Brazil,…
