APA – Rabat (Morocco) – The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), meeting at a summit in Johannesburg, will be welcoming six new members from January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday.
Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are joining the group of emerging countries, which is seeking to increase its influence in the world.
“Membership will take effect from January 1, 2024,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at a joint press conference with the leaders of the five nations that currently make up the bloc. “This summit marks the beginning of a new chapter for the BRICS,” he said.
The day before, Pretoria had announced that all the member countries had agreed on the principle of expansion. “We have adopted a document that defines the guidelines, principles and review processes for countries wishing to become members of the BRICS,” South Africa’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naledi Pandor, was pleased to report, underlining a “positive” step forward.
Some 40 countries had applied for membership or expressed an interest in joining. According to the leaders of the “club of five,” which produces a quarter of the world’s wealth and is home to 42 percent of the world’s population, this enthusiasm demonstrates the growing influence of emerging countries on the world stage.
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