Filenews 24 August 2023
The BRICS group (made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) decided at a summit this week in Johannesburg to invite six countries – Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – to become new members of the bloc, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
The debate over the enlargement of the BRICS bloc was at the top of the agenda of the three-day summit in Johannesburg that ended on Thursday.
While all BRICS members have publicly expressed support for the bloc's enlargement, there are disagreements among leaders over the size of the enlargement and how quickly it should happen.
Ramaphosa also said BRICS countries had reached an agreement on the guidelines of the bloc's enlargement process. "The accession of the new countries to the BRICS will take effect on January 1, 2024."
Brazilian President Lula da Silva said the importance of BRICS was confirmed by other countries' interest in joining. "Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Ethiopia and the UAE have expressed interest in joining the BRICS," he added. During the summit held in South Africa, the BRICS also adopted a resolution on the future study of the creation of "a new payment currency".
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Ramaphosa for his handling of the BRICS summit and for enlarging the bloc. Putin was unable to attend the summit because of an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Ukraine.
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahayan said via X (formerly Twitter) that he appreciates the BRICS leaders' approval for the country to join "this important group." "We look forward to working with the BRICS for the benefit of all," he added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country would help build consensus for other countries that have expressed a desire to join the BRICS.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that "all BRICS countries are countries with significant influence and shoulder important responsibilities for world peace and development." Enlargement will give new impetus to BRICS cooperation," he added.
The Ethiopian prime minister's office said "the request to join the BRICS family has been confirmed."
The enlargement could pave the way for dozens of interested countries seeking BRICS membership, at a time when geopolitical polarization is bolstering Beijing and Moscow's efforts to bolster a viable counterweight to the West.
More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS, South African officials said, and 22 have formally applied to become members.
They represent a heterogeneous group of potential candidates motivated largely by their desire to balance a global playing field that many see as rigged against them and attracted by the BRICS' promise to rebalance the global order.
Capital.gr
