The club of “non-aligned” is growing. The Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), meeting at a summit in Johannesburg, welcome six new member countries, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday August 24.
Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates join, as of January 1, 2024, the group of emerging countries that want to gain influence in the world.
An idea supported by the “club”
A little earlier, they had already agreed on the principle of an expansion of the bloc of emerging countries, eager to extend their influence, the strategic choice of new members still to be discussed.
“We have agreed on the issue of expansion. We have adopted a document which defines the guidelines, principles and processes for reviewing countries wishing to become members of the BRICS,” said the southern minister. -African Foreign Affairs, Naledi Pandor, on a public radio. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier that all members of the bloc “fully” support the idea of enlargement.
China weighs 70% of the group’s GDP
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.
China, a heavyweight that weighs around 70% of the group’s GDP, has clearly reiterated its intention to gain power. “The Brics must work for multilateralism and not create small blocs. We must integrate more countries into the Brics family,” President Xi Jinping had urged.
A heterogeneous alliance of countries that are geographically distant and endowed with unequally growing economies, the Brics have in common their demand for a more inclusive global balance, in particular with regard to the influence of the United States and the European Union.