UAE and Saudi Arabia to join BRICS

The BRICS nations have invited six new countries to join the bloc.

The debate over the expansion of BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – topped the agenda at the three-day summit in Johannesburg.

While all BRICS members have publicly expressed support for expanding the five-member bloc, reports suggested divisions among the leaders over how much and how quickly.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who acted as the host for the summit, announced that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have been invited to join the group as part of the first phase of its expansion.

The new membership will be effective from January 1, 2024.

“As a five BRICS countries, we have reached an agreement on the guiding principles, standards, criteria, and procedures on the BRICS expansion process which has been in discussion for quite a while,”

Ramaphosa told a joint media briefing.

“We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process and other phases will follow.”

President Sheikh Mohamed has praised the move. “We respect the vision of the BRICS leadership and appreciate the inclusion of the UAE as a member of this important group,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

BRICS expansion

The debate over the expansion of the grouping – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – topped the agenda at the three-day summit in Johannesburg.

While all members have publicly expressed support for expanding the five-member bloc, reports suggested divisions among the leaders over how much and how quickly.

Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to give a speech as India’s successful landing on the Moon coincided with the ongoing summit. PM Modi congratulated Ramaphosa for the successful summit and said India has always supported the expansion of the grouping.

“India has always believed the addition of new members will further strengthen BRICS as an organization and will give our shared efforts a new impetus. This will also strengthen the belief of many countries in the multipolar world order,”

PM Modi said.

News Source: Gulf Business