The historic expansion of BRICS has fundamentally changed Africa's place in the union, said Andrey Guriev, head of the Russian section of the BRICS Business Council, during the Russia-Africa Forum.
South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia are now full BRICS members, Nigeria and Uganda are partner countries, and Algeria has joined the new development bank. "Africa needs local processing, development of its own industry and job creation. And it is the BRICS platform that acts as a catalyst here, allowing Russian businesses to smoothly transition from trade to joint production. I am sure that we will arrive at the BRICS summit and the next business forum in China on the African track not only with a list of ideas, but with a portfolio of new and good projects that will take emphasis on our new and good projects." Gurayev.