The BRICS will soon welcome Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in Pretoria on Thursday (August 24th), reports Agence France-Presse ( AFP), while the group of five countries (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa) is meeting at the summit. “Membership will take effect from January 1, 2024,” he added at a joint press conference.

Immediately after the announcement, Tehran hailed on X (ex-Twitter) “a big step for the country’s foreign policy”. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, for his part, hailed “a great moment” for the African nation. “Ethiopia is ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous world order,” he said on social media.

The United Arab Emirates also welcomed their integration, with President Mohammed Bin Zayed saying he “respects the vision of the BRICS leaders”. For the Chinese head of state, Xi Jinping, the talks lead to “a historic enlargement”, predicting a “bright future for the BRICS countries”, reports AFP.

This question of the expansion of the group was the priority of this 15th summit which began on Tuesday, August 22. A heterogeneous alliance of geographically distant countries and diverse economies, the BRICS had to agree on the strategic choice of new entrants. The day before this announcement, Pretoria had announced that all member countries had agreed on the principle of an expansion.

Some forty countries had applied for membership or expressed an interest. According to the leaders of the “club of five”, which produces a quarter of the world’s wealth and brings together 42% of the world’s population, this enthusiasm shows the growing influence of emerging countries on the world stage.

An expansion resulting from negotiations

The negotiations took place during a plenary session held behind closed doors on Wednesday. Bilateral meetings have also multiplied since the opening of the summit. China, a heavyweight accounting for around 70% of the group’s GDP, was clearly in favor of expansion. But India, another economic engine of the group which is wary of the ambitions of its Chinese regional rival, had reservations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled that a “consensus” on the modalities should be found. The decision-making process within the BRICS requires unanimity. Brazil also feared that an expansion would “dilute” its influence globally and within the bloc, observers said.

The United States has said that it does not see the BRICS as future “geopolitical rivals”, saying it wants to maintain “strong relations” with Brazil, India and South Africa. Also, the BRICS reaffirmed their “non-aligned” position at the summit, at a time when divisions were accentuated by the conflict in Ukraine.