The BRICS Business Council has committed to working together to advance development in the member countries of the grouping.
In a joint statement following the first BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Business Council meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday, the council agreed to promote public-private partnerships among the five emerging economies.
The council, comprising five business leaders from each BRICS country, agreed to focus its collaboration efforts in areas such as infrastructure, mining and minerals beneficiation, value-added manufacturing, and sustainable development.
The council also showed its backing for the establishment of a BRICS Development Bank, and appealed to the BRICS governments to accelerate the formation of the bank.
At the same time, the council urged the BRICS governments to create multiple-entry business visas valid for longer periods, and to consider a proposal to create a BRICS business travel card, in order to make it easier for BRICS business people to work together.
The council also proposed the creation of a BRICS online business portal, to be facilitated by the BRICS Business Council Secretariat, among others.
The two-day meeting, which began on Monday, was chaired by the chairperson of the South African BRICS Business Council, Patrice Motsepe. Also in attendance were Jose de la Rosa of Brazil, Sergey Katyrin of Russia, Onkar Kanwar of India and MA Zehua of China.
