The leaders of the BRICS bloc, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, established protocols for evaluating potential new member states on Wednesday, South Africa’s foreign minister said.
The expansion agreement creates an avenue for numerous interested candidate nations to present their case for joining the grouping, which has committed to championing the interests of the developing “Global South”.
Expanding the BRICS has been a focal point of discussions during a summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa’s commercial hub.
While all BRICS members had publicly indicated their backing for the bloc’s growth, differing opinions among leaders regarding the extent and pace of expansion had caused divisions.
“We have agreed on the matter of expansion,” Naledi Pandor said on Ubuntu Radio, a station run by South Africa’s foreign ministry.
“We have a document that we’ve adopted which sets out guidelines and principles, processes for considering countries that wish to become members of BRICS…That’s very positive.”
Pandor stated that the leaders of the bloc would provide a more comprehensive announcement regarding expansion before the conclusion of the summit on Thursday.
South African officials report that over 40 countries have demonstrated interest in joining BRICS, with 22 of them, including Iran, Venezuela, and Algeria, having officially requested admission.
