South Africa (Common wealth) _Around twenty countries have applied to join the BRICS club, which now consists of five nations, and an equivalent number of other countries have expressed interest, according to South Africa, which is holding its next summit.
The BRICS group (South Africa, Brazil, China, India, and Russia), which aspires to gain more clout in international organizations previously dominated by the US and Europe, has stated that it is open to possible growth.
Twenty-two countries have formally approached the Brics countries to become full members of the group, and the same number of countries have informally enquired about becoming Brics members, said South Africa’s ambassador-at-large for Asia and the BRICS, Anil sooklal.
Iran, Argentina, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that have shown formal or informal interest in joining the BRICS. The increased interest in the Brics group is “nothing new,” he said at a press conference in Johannesburg, but it underscores the group’s “confidence” in the work it has “championed” since its establishment.
Mr Sooklal noted that the BRICS are not just a driving force of global power in terms of attempting to modify the fault lines in global politics, but they are also transforming what happens in the global economic environment. The current global architecture continues to be uneven, to marginalize emerging countries, and to be dominated by a few hegemonies. He went on to say, “We want a world where our voices are heard.”
The next summit will be held in Johannesburg from the 22nd to the 24th of August, and 69 countries, including African countries, have been invited. The gathering has been requested by French President Emmanuel Macron, but no decision has been made.
The BRICS are a consensus institution; it is not simply South Africa’s decision; there must be consultation,” Anil Sooklal said, noting that South African Foreign Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor is “in charge of this procedure.”
According to the summit’s official website, the group of five developing countries now accounts for 23% of global GDP and 42% of the world’s population. Some 50 non-BRICS leaders, including Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, have confirmed their attendance at the meetings.
The BRICS countries represent almost a fourth of the global economy, and interest in joining the organization has increased this year. At least 40 countries have expressed interest in joining, with 23 having submitted applications. South Africa supports calls to expand BRICS membership.
South Africa currently serves as the chair of the BRICS, a group of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China and aims to challenge US and European global dominance. Despite being wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegations that Russia unjustly removed Ukrainian children, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to attend.
We are going to have a physical BRICS summit, and we are all committed to having a summit where we can look each other in the eyes. We have not held a physical summit in nearly three years. So, regrettably, it will not be virtual, stated South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa has not denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, claiming neutrality and preferring dialogue, which it is promoting. In an unprecedented attempt to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow last month, Ramaphosa headed a seven-country African peace team that included leaders from the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Senegal, and Uganda.
South Africa’s government claimed all preparations were complete, including increased security in advance of the major event. The 2023 BRICS summit will be the fifteenth annual BRICS summit, an international relations conference attended by the leaders of the five member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
