The existing five-member BRICS consortium has unveiled expansion plans, inviting six additional countries.
During the summit, hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg, it was announced that Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will begin membership in January.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the momentous nature of this expansion, stating: “This step marks a historic event, underscoring the collective determination of the BRICS nations for unity and progress.” Enlargement was the predominant topic of the three-day summit, although Ramaphosa noted that the concept had been discussed for greater than a yr.
Mohammad Jamshidi, Iran’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, shared his thoughts on social media, noting: “Iran’s accession as a everlasting member of BRICS is a momentous achievement, demonstrating the success of Iran’s foreign policy strategy.”
The leader of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, welcomed the announcement of his country’s inclusion on this “significant coalition.” He expressed his willingness to proceed common efforts for the progress and prosperity of all nations and peoples all over the world.
Egyptian President El-Sisi stressed commitment to cooperation and coordination with current members and newly invited countries, with the aim of strengthening economic cooperation and advocating for the concerns and development challenges facing the Global South.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed the event as a key achievement for his nation.
Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina, described it as “a milestone in strengthening camaraderie and adopting the more globally connected approach to which now we have at all times strived.” While Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have publicly supported enlargement, there have been divergent views amongst leaders over the number of nations that might join and the pace of implementation.
The previous expansion of BRICS took place in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa, which added the letter “S” to the acronym, a yr after the coalition was formed. The current composition represents roughly 40% of the world’s population and greater than 1 / 4 of world GDP.
This expansion represents a major step in transforming the world order towards a multipolar world through which voices from the Global South gain prominence on the international stage.
