On July 21, the 8th BRICS Culture Ministers Meeting was held in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Ms Nocawe Noncedo Mafu, the Deputy Minister of Sports and Recreation, Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, presided over the meeting. Representatives from cultural departments of China, Brazil, Russia, India and other member countries attended the meeting and spoke on issues relating to deepening cultural exchanges and cooperation among BRICS countries and promoting sustainable socio-economic development.

Representatives also unanimously agreed that the firstBRICS Culture Ministers’Meeting held offline since 2019 would provide impetus for members to realize socio-economic recovery and cultural prosperity in the wake of the epidemic. The countries will actively press ahead with the“Action Plan for the Implementation of the Agreementamong the Governments of the BRICS States on Cooperation in the Field of Culture (2022-2026)”, which was signed in Beijing in 2022, andwilljointly promote higher-quality cultural exchanges and cooperation among BRICS countries. Following the meeting, Li Qun, on behalf of China, signed the“Declaration of the 8th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting” with the four countries.