SANDTON SUMMIT
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 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
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So its BRICSASIEEU now?
Lol that is funny
What a wonderful collection of freedom loving countries. Now we just need Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela to join and we are all set for a bright new world order.
Let us not forget the honourable Zimbabwe.
Exactly what you say. We really are consorting with the pariah nations. Dictators and lack of basic freedom. Not much else to expect though.
An event of immense geopolitical import.
I foresee strength in number and resources. Humanity has a chance
I really hope you are being sarcastic.
Is it lost on anyone that if the Apartheid state still existed, it would have joined too and also been welcomed?
It seems that it is becoming a bloc of countries where human rights and freedom are not highly valued in half the members, i.e. the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Russia, China.
The benefit of the doubt would go to Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, RSA and Brazil (Since Lula has become president again)
Let’s hope the good will affect the bad.
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.
I USE AI BRACES
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.
Precisely
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
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.
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?