Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran. These will be the first six countries that from 1 January 2024 will enter the BRICS, the bloc of emerging countries currently made up of Brazil, China, South Africa, Russia and India.
The BRICS are expanding, there is an agreement
BRICS leaders are currently meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, for their annual summit. The only absent is Vladimir Putin who was unable to be there due to the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, which South Africa recognizes. However, Putin connected via video from Moscow, returning to attack the West.
Yesterday, during the second of three days of meetings, the Chinese president Xi Jinping had once again pushed for an enlargement of the blockade which, in Beijing's intentions, should become an instrument of contrast - according to him of rebalancing - against theglobal influence of the G7. Initially it seemed that the other countries were rather cautious on the issue, but it arrived on Wednesday evening an agreement that provides for the expansion of the group for the first time since 2010, when South Africa joined the group.
The new members of the BRICS
From 1 January 2024 Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Iran will become “effective members” of the BRICS. This was announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during the final press conference of the summit.
“The BRICS – recalled Ramaphosa – are a heterogeneous group of nations. It is an equal partnership between countries that have different points of view but a shared vision for a better world. As five members of the BRICS, we have reached an agreement on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the expansion process” of the bloc he explained, specifying that. "We reached a consensus on the first stage of this expansion process.
South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor reiterated that the BRICS leaders are "agree on the issue of expansion. We have adopted a document that establishes guidelines, principles and processes for countries wishing to become members of the BRICS. This is very positive."
The leaders of emerging countries who join the group have also instructed their finance ministers and central bank governors to assess the issue of local currencies, payment instruments and platforms. The evaluations will be analyzed in the next summit.
Lula: "The BRICS will represent 36% of world GDP"
Thanks to the new entries, the Brics “they will represent 36% of world GDP and 47% of the entire planet's population,” added the Brazilian president Lula da Silva which then anticipated a further expansion which, however, will arrive in a second phase.
The expansion of the BRICS with six other nations "represents a new chapter in the collaboration of emerging and developing countries", said the Chinese president Xi Jinping.
BRICS: 22 countries ready to join the group
Hitherto 22 countries have submitted formal applications of accession, among which the 6 that will join in January: Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Honduras, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Kuwait, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Palestine , Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand and Ethiopia.
