High Commissioner Anil Sookal interview: ‘India now has acceptance with the Global North and the Global South’

Source: The Indian Express | Original Published At: 2026-09-09 22:55:27 UTC

Key Points

• The interview was conducted ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit and focused on the significance of BRICS in a divided world.
• Anil Sookal said BRICS can provide leadership for the Global South and promote peace, equity, and inclusive global governance.
• South Africa expects India’s BRICS presidency to consolidate themes of resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability while addressing food and energy security.
• Sookal described President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the summit as a positive signal and said India and China will be central to the global economy.
• He said US tariff measures have pushed BRICS countries to strengthen self-reliance and deepen trade with the Global South, including trade in local currencies.
• Sookal said BRICS does not aim to pursue de-dollarisation, but the shift toward other currencies is a natural consequence of the rise of the Global South.
• On South Africa’s exclusion from the US-hosted G20 summit, Sookal called it a unilateral measure and said it would be corrected when the UK assumes the G20 presidency.