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South Africa

BRICS expansion sees Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and UAE welcomed into the network

Six countries will be joining the BRICS collective from the beginning of 2024.
BRICS expansion sees Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and UAE welcomed into the network

BRICS chair president Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement at the closing of the Summit on Thursday morning at the Sandton Convention Centre. 

 “We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS.


“The membership will take effect from 1 January 2024. We value the interest of other countries in building a partnership with BRICS. We have tasked our foreign ministers to further develop the BRICS partner country model and a list of prospective partner countries and report by the next summit,” Ramaphosa said. 

China was in favour of Iran and Saudi Arabia joining the collective while South Africa named Egypt as its preferred country and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported its neighbour Argentina.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Six new countries invited to join BRICS — See our interactive world map

BRICS leaders expressed their satisfaction with the expansion with Russian president Vladimir Putin saying that the expansion process will be seamless. 

Da Silva mentioned the benefits that come with the expansion. He said expansion would not diffuse the influence of BRICS but would increase its power to adopt creative solutions for global problems. He particularly welcomed Brazil’s neighbour Argentina.

“The addition of these countries has increased the BRICS global PPP to 37%,” Da Silva said. 

Chinese president Xi Jinping congratulated the new members calling the announcement “historic” and adding that it shows the common interest of the global south. 

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the addition of new members will ensure the strengthening of Brics as an organisation.

Speaking via virtual linkup, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin praised Ramaphosa for having navigated the planning and execution of the summit well. He also assured that the expansion would be a seamless process. “Let me assure all the new Brics members that we continue with our mission to expand the bloc." DM

Comments (6)

Jane Crankshaw Aug 25, 2023, 07:13 AM

A further endorsement for misogyny, abuse of rights, corruption and money laundering! Not a common thread of decency running through the veins of this criminal cartel! And all for what?

Ann Bown Aug 24, 2023, 06:05 PM

Strange bed fellows for a Human Rights based country. The Bill of Rights is our cornerstone of democracy, Equality, Human Dignity, Freedom etc - all the values that don’t line up with the current and expanded BRICS bloc! Very disappointed in Lula.

Phil Baker Aug 24, 2023, 05:47 PM

What %age of global Oil supply does this new order represent.....? Iran+Saudi+Russia.... 70%?? Not a good space to be LGBTI+ really or indeed a woman.... only Brazil and (Hmmm!) RSA have human rights to speak of

James Francis Aug 24, 2023, 04:33 PM

The Despot Club grows. Anyone who thinks this is a good thing need to curb their propaganda diet. The people will suffer as a result.

jennifer slutzkin Aug 25, 2023, 06:06 AM

Precisely

Mike Trow Aug 24, 2023, 04:18 PM

I USE AI BRACES

Sunny Morgan Aug 24, 2023, 04:14 PM

The process to break US Imperialist hegemony is well and truly underway. What is needed however is a radical rethink of the objectives befitting of the new world economic order not the business as usual model we have today.