As the BRICS group of nations gets ready to hold a summit next month, South Africa claims that more than 40 countries have already expressed a desire to join.
Anil Sooklal, the ambassador of South Africa to the BRICS, stated at a press conference on Thursday that 22 nations have so far submitted formal requests to join the organization.
Additionally, “equally as many countries have formally expressed interest in joining the BRICS,” as indicated by the dot. “(Including) all the significant countries of the Global South,” he continued.
read more: BRICS member states to hold meeting in SA, Puttin to grace the floor
Sooklal’s comments come just days before the BRICS summit, which will be held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24.
Iran, Venezuela, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Argentina are just a few of the countries that have either submitted formal applications for membership or expressed interest.
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are the current group’s members, and their names are abbreviated as BRICS. Members of the bloc have seen positive outcomes in fields like the economy, trade, politics, security, technological advancements, and social and cultural exchanges since the bloc’s founding in 2006.
The group’s members are home to roughly half of the world’s population and makeup one-fifth of the world economy.
While South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, whose nation is currently serving as the BRICS group’s chair, extended a formal invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming summit, the Russian president declined, making the announcement on Wednesday.
According to an understanding, Ramaphosa and Russian Foreign Minister Mr.dot [Sergei] Lavrov will speak on behalf of the Russian Federation at the summit in place of President Vladimir Putin, who will not be present.
On its part, the Kremlin stated that Putin would take part in the high-level discussions virtually.
According to Russian news agencies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that President Putin “decided to take part in the BRICS summit in a video conference format.” The participation will be complete.”
Russian officials are accused of forcibly deporting children from Ukraine. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite Moscow vehemently disputing the allegations.
The hosting of the upcoming summit presents a challenge for South Africa, which has longstanding ties to Russia. On the one hand, it has taken a neutral stance toward the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but on the other, it is a member of the ICC, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin.
The conundrum has sparked heated discussion about whether the warrant against Putin will be carried out in the African nation and the West.
Back in 2015, when Omar al-Bashir, the former president of Sudan, was also wanted by the ICC, South Africa declined to place him under arrest.
Iran has submitted a formal application to join the organization and is one of more than a dozen nations that are interested in joining the bloc. The Islamic Republic has stated that its goals are similar to those of the BRICS nations.
The G7 club of Western industrial nations is being challenged by the emerging economies of the BRICS. More than 40% of the world’s population and almost 25% of the global gross domestic product are contained within the economies of the member states.
