BRICS is moving toward finalizing a list of candidate countries that could gain a status close to full membership for the bloc, ahead of the 2024 summit slated to take place in Kazan. This update was provided by Sergei Ryabkov, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, during a plenary session at the international forum titled “Russia and Iberoamerica in a Turbulent World: History and Modernity.” The briefing was carried by TASS.
The event occurred at St. Petersburg State University, where a representative from the foreign policy department noted that BRICS leaders are actively pursuing the implementation of decisions made at the Johannesburg summit. The focus, he explained, is to advance the status of partner states toward enhanced linkage with the core organization while preserving the club’s inclusive spirit.
In particular, the discussion emphasized reaching agreement on a list of potential candidates by October of the following year. Ryabkov underscored that the door remains open to additional states, including those in Latin America, as part of BRICS’s ongoing expansion efforts.
The most recent BRICS summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22 to 24, 2023, where leaders invited six new members: Egypt, Argentina, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. The decision reflected the bloc’s pursuit of broader regional representation and greater influence on global economic and political platforms.
Russia’s president has previously highlighted BRICS’s strategic importance, stressing the bloc’s role in shaping a multipolar international order and fostering cooperation among emerging economies across continents. The ongoing discussions and invitations illustrate BRICS’s evolving agenda and its response to global economic shifts and geopolitical changes. (Citation: TASS)