Iran and Saudi Arabia are among six nations invited Thursday to join the Brics bloc of developing economies. United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to join the bloc from 2024. The announcement was made at the Brics summit in Johannesburg by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country is the current Brics chair. BRICS is currently made up of the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Those five members agreed at this week’s summit to expand the bloc. It’s the second time that BRICS has decided to expand. The bloc was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was added in 2010. The Brics bloc represents around 40% of the world’s population and contributes more than a quarter of global GDP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the 15th BRICS Summit on Thursday, said that India welcomed the expansion of the grouping of world economies. PM Modi’s words of affirmation came after President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa announced the induction of six new member states.
“I am glad that in this 3-day meeting, a lot of positive results have come out. India has always supported the expansion of members of BRICS,” PM Modi said at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.
the United Arab Emirates full members from January 1.
“This membership expansion is historic,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nation is the most powerful in the group of non-Western states that represents a quarter of the world’s economy.
“The expansion is also a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. It will bring new vigour to the BRICS cooperation mechanism and further strengthen the force for world peace and development.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later congratulated the new menber, saying, “India has always supported the expansion of BRICS. India has always believed that adding new members will strengthen BRICS as an organisation,” he said
The debate over enlargement has topped the agenda at the three-day summit taking place in Johannesburg. And while all BRICS members have publicly expressed support for growing the bloc, there were divisions among the leaders over how much and how quickly.
Summit host South Africa’s foreign minister Naledi Pandor speaking on Wednesday said BRICS leaders had agreed on mechanisms for considering new members.
| 2023 BRICS summit 15th BRICS summit | |
|---|---|
| 22 to 24 August 2023 | |
| Host country | South Africa |
| Venue(s) | Sandton Convention Centre |
| Cities | Johannesburg |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for Johannesburg, South Africa to take part in the 15th BRICS Summit that will be held from August 22-24. The PM released a statement ahead of his visit and said that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South. He added that the summit will provide a useful opportunity for BRICS to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development.
“I am visiting the Republic of South Africa from 22-24 August 2023 at the invitation of H.E Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit being held in Johannesburg under the South African Chairmanship,” PM Modi said, as per an official release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The Prime Minister said that BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors and the members value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South.
“BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors. We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system. This Summit will provide a useful opportunity for BRICS to identify future areas of cooperation and review institutional development,” PM Modi added, as per an official release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Giving information on other programmes that he will be attending, the PM said, “During my stay in Johannesburg, I will also participate in BRICS–Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue event that will be held as part of the BRICS Summit activities. I look forward to interacting with a number of guest countries that have been invited to participate in this event.”
“I also look forward to holding bilateral meetings with some of the Leaders present in Johannesburg,” the Prime Minister said.
On his visit to Greece, the first by an Indian PM after 40 years, the Prime Minister said that he will travel to Athens, Greece on 25 August 2023 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “This will be my first visit to this ancient land. I have the honour to be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Greece after 40 years,” he said.
Stating that contacts between the civilisations of India and Greece ‘stretch back over two millennia’, the PM said that in modern times, “our ties have been strengthened by shared values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism”.
“Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defence, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer. I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our multifacted relationship,” the Prime Minister concluded.