BRICS Sherpas are a select group of leaders representing their countries within the BRICS bloc. The role of a Sherpa is that of being the main channel for communication amongst the BRICS nations. For the 2023 South African BRICS Chairship the following leaders serve as Sherpas for their respective countries:
Sarquis José Buainain (BRASIL)
Sergei Ryabkov (RUSSIA)
Sanjay Bhattacharyya (INDIA)
Sanjay Bhattacharyya (CHINA)
Dr. Anil Sooklal (SOUTH AFRICA)Sarquis José Buainain (BRASIL)Sarquis José Buainain Sarquis holds a PhD and a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BSc in Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic School of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
In 1991, he joined the Foreign Service and during his career as diplomat he has held several positions in particular in the field of economic, trade and financial diplomacy. Sarquis has been in charge of economic negotiations and policy analysis, in the areas of international trade and investments, finance and development. He has been a delegate to several intergovernmental meetings and conferences at the OECD, the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF, and at the United Nations.
During his diplomatic career, Sarquis has been posted to the Embassies of Brazil in London (1997-2000) and Berlin (2001-2003). He has been Minister Counsellor for economic and OECD affairs at the Brazilian Embassy in Paris (2009-2014) and has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy in Tokyo (2014-2017).
Prior to taking office as Secretary for Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of External Relations (2020), he was the Vice-President for Risk, Research, Strategy and Partnerships of the New Development Bank (NDB) in Shanghai (2018-2020).
Sarquis has lectured and researched in the fields of macroeconomics, growth, development, trade, investment and
international finance. He was granted research prizes, such as the Gilbert de Botton Award in Finance Research.
Born in Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, on December 8 1966, Sarquis is married and has two sons
Sergei Ryabkov (RUSSIA)Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Responsible for bilateral relations with North and South America, non-proliferation and arms control, Iran’s nuclear programme and Russia’s participation in the BRICS association. Born in 1960. 1982: graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Held various diplomatic posts in the central office of the Foreign Ministry and abroad. 1995-1999: Head of the OSCE Desk at the Department of European Cooperation. 1999-2002: Senior Counsellor at the Embassy in the USA. 2002-2005: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy in the USA. 2005-2008: Director of the Department of European Cooperation. Since August 2008: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Awarded the Order for Service to the Fatherland IV class, the Order of Honour and the Order of Friendship. Married, with two children
Sanjay Bhattacharyya (INDIA)Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya
Sanjay Bhattacharyya (CHINA)Member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, male, Han ethnicity. Born in September 1963. Graduated with a PhD in Political Economics. Member of the CPC.
Dr. Anil Sooklal (SOUTH AFRICA)Ambassador Dr. Anil Sooklal is the Deputy Director-General responsible for Asia and the Middle East, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Republic of South Africa. He is also South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa, G20 Sherpa and IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Sherpa and the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation).
Dr Sookal also served as Chief Director for North Africa, Acting Chief Director for United Nations Political and Global Security Affairs and Head of the Department’s Parliamentary Office in Cape Town, and was co-ordinator of the substance team of the UN World Conference Against Racism, 2001.
He was appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg in April 2006 and completed his term of office in January 2012.
His previous foreign postings include having been Counsellor (Political) at the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and at the South African High Commission in New Delhi respectively.
During his tenure as South Africa’s Ambassador in Brussels he served as Chair of SADC Committee of Ambassadors (2008 – 2009), Chair of the Tripartite SADC, EAC, COMESA, Committee of Ambassadors (2008 – 2009), Member of the Bureau of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors (2007), and Deputy Chair of the Sustainable Development Committee, ACP (2011).
