The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group has garnered significant interest from the global community, with over 40 countries expressing their desire to become members. Of these, 22 countries have already submitted official applications to join the prominent bloc. The announcement was made by Anil Sooklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS at the South African Foreign Ministry, as well as the BRICS Sherpa from South Africa, during a briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Sooklal emphasized that the interest in joining BRICS extends beyond the formal applications, as a comparable number of countries have informally expressed their keenness to be part of the organization. Notably, these expressions of interest include all major countries in the global South, highlighting the growing significance and appeal of the BRICS association on the international stage.
Amid the rising number of countries seeking membership, there have been reports suggesting that five countries are likely to be admitted to BRICS during the upcoming summit in Johannesburg, scheduled from August 22 to 24. The reported new additions include Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, further diversifying the group's representation.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the organization has been inundated with applications from countries eager to participate in joint initiatives. However, the process demands meticulous study and consideration. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov further confirmed that the number of countries expressing willingness to join BRICS has nearly reached two dozen and is continuing to grow.
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Photo: FAS
Based on materials from TASS