Egypt aims to further strengthen international cooperation under the BRICS mechanism, which has already provided great opportunities for the countries' development, said Egypt's Minister of Public Enterprises Sector Mohamed El-Shimy while sharing expectations for the BRICS Summit.
The 17th BRICS Summit opened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday and will last through Monday.
Speaking with China Global Television Network (CGTN) days ahead of the summit, Mohamed El-Shimy emphasized the significance of BRICS membership for Egypt, which officially joined the bloc in early 2024.
"Egypt joined BRICS in 2024 because of it's economic and political influence in the Middle East, North Africa, and across the African continent. This membership boosts Egypt's economy -- through the New Development Bank, which can finance key projects and facilitate trade, especially in strategic goods. BRICS also opens new export markets for Egyptian products," he said.
Speaking about the country's efforts to work with BRICS member states, the minister highlighted ongoing partnerships with several countries.
"We've established a dedicated government unit for BRICS cooperation. With China, we partner in auto manufacturing -- including electric vehicles and buses -- through Al-Nasr Auto Company, alongside collaborations in textiles. With India, we have a joint phosphate fertilizer venture and tourism agreements with an Indian hospitality group. Similar partnerships exist with the UAE," said El-Shimy.
He underlined Egypt's dedication to strengthening ties with BRICS nations, as part of the country's efforts to achieve its development targets.
"Egypt is deeply committed to strengthening ties with BRICS nations -- this will drive our economic growth, support our 10-year development goals, and help realize Vision 2030," said the minister.
Egypt to further deepen ties with BRICS member states: minister
Egypt to further deepen ties with BRICS member states: minister
As the world grapples with multiplying crises and a dangerous decline in international trust, a senior Uzbek lawmaker has called for greater unity and multilateral cooperation to tackle shared crises.
Sodiq Safoyev, first deputy chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (national parliament) of Uzbekistan, said the world is navigating a complex era of "polycrisis" marked by wars, pandemics, and growing division, and that the response should not be to create new dividing lines, but to unite people and act collectively.
"Today we're living in a difficult time worldwide. Even some academicians defined the contemporary world as in a time of polycrisis or simultaneous occurrence of several catastrophic events, indeed, wars, pandemia, fragmentation of the world. And I think that it's a time not to create new division lines, but to unite the people and act together, vis-a-vis global challenges. I think that such an idea, proposed by his Excellency, Chairman [President] Xi Jinping, is very important, because it brings very clear idea that today we need to build cooperation and to think about the next generation's destiny, to save the earth from the challenges which we have," said Safoyev.
Safoyev also pushed back against the notion that deglobalization has taken hold, saying that international trade, information flows, and migration remain unstoppable. However, he warned that rising interconnectedness has been accompanied by a dangerous decline in mutual trust and understanding.
"Some people think that the process of deglobalization has started. I don't think so. I don't think that it's possible to stop international trade, flow of information, migration of people who want to study abroad, who want to work abroad. Globalization is not stopping and that's why interconnectedness of the nations only increases. But at the same time, simultaneously, we're absorbing diminishing of trust and understanding. It's a very dangerous combination. We connected, but we don't understand each other," said Safoyev.
Acknowledging that international organizations fail to meet public expectation in resolving conflicts, Safoyev said that regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries offer models for effective cooperation.
"And I think that international organizations today are not matching expectations of the people in the regard with preventing conflicts, preventing the problems and resolving them. And it's the most challenging issues of the contemporary world. And I think that's why the experience of Shanghai organizations [the Shanghai Cooperation Organization] and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is very important to demonstrate that it's possible," said Safoyev.
He also said that Central Asia serves as a prime example of overcoming fragmentation and uniting, as the region has transformed from one plagued by border disputes, suspicion, and resource conflicts a decade ago into a cohesive, cooperating bloc.
"From the more positive side, I'd like to note that the situation in Central Asia is something which might give us some more optimism. Twenty years ago, even 10 years ago, Central Asia was divided, divided by suspicion, divided by unresolved issues like unresolved borders, many conflicts of interest in the regard with the using the water resources of the transnational water resources etc. Today, in a relatively short time, period of time, Central Asia became completely different, more and more consolidating, uniting, having joint approach to the regional problems. And that's why Central Asia started to lure more attention worldwide. We're seeing that [there are] more interests of the global actors with the Central Asia, and I think that it demonstrates to the whole world that it's possible today now to overcome fragmentation and to unite. And that's why we, as usual, have both some concerns. But at the same time, we must be optimists in looking ahead," said Safoyev.
He also said that wisdom of humanity and visionary leadership inspire optimism that building future of common shared destiny is possible.
Senior Uzbek lawmaker calls for regional unity, cooperation amid global "polycrisis"
