The multipolar world is a little stronger today with the arrival of new member countries to the BRICS group.
Following the formal invitations extended on the last BRICS Summit, last August in Johannesburg, new additions are joining Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the original members.
Saudi state TV broke the news today (1) that the Kingdom had officially joined BRICS.
Reuters reported:
“Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister had said in August the kingdom would study the details before the proposed Jan. 1 joining date and take ‘the appropriate decision’.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan had said the BRICS group was “a beneficial and important channel” to strengthen economic cooperation.
The BRICs bloc previously included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but is set to double with Saudi Arabia joining the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, and Ethiopia as new members.”
Saudi Arabia’s entry marks an expansion of China’s influence within the kingdom.
Continued strong ties with the US have not stopped the Saudis from pursuing their own geopolitical path.
“China, Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil customer, has led calls for the BRICs to expand to become a counterweight to the West.
The expansion could amplify the group’s declared ambition to become a champion of the Global South, although Argentina signaled in November it would not take up an invitation to join.”
But Saudi Arabia is not the only new member, according to South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have confirmed they are joining the BRICS bloc, Pandor told a news conference.
Argentina, also invited, has since declined the invitation to join.
Yahoo reported:
“‘With respect to the BRICS confirmations, five out of the six have confirmed. That is Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ethiopia, Iran and Egypt’, Pandor told a news conference on Wednesday. ‘Argentina has written to indicate that they will not act on this successful application by the previous administration to become full members of BRICS, and we accept their decision’.”
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