30 nations want partnership with BRICS: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that thirty nations had shown interest in forging collaboration ties with the BRICS alliance. Before the group’s next summit, which is scheduled to take place in the Russian city of Kazan in October of next year, Lavrov stated that Moscow anticipates a wide range of options to be established. Speaking to a meeting of United Russia’s Commission on International Cooperation and Support for Compatriots Abroad, Lavrov stated that it is “natural given that BRICS is operating on a genuinely democratic and mutually respectful basis” that many nations want to get closer to the five nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The leaders of the BRICS agreed to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as new members, starting January 1, 2024, during their 15th summit, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from June 22–24. “We will continue to work on BRICS bolstering its positions as one of the pillars of a multipolar world,” the Russian diplomat told the media. “The theme of our watch in BRICS will be ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security.’ Over 10 Russian cities will host more than 200 economic, political and public events. It all will culminate with the BRICS summit in Kazan next October,” he added. “In addition to the countries that have already joined our union, as of today, about 30 countries would like to establish partner ties with BRICS.” There would be a number of activities both during and leading up to the summit, especially on the BRICS Plus and Outreach platforms. The first meeting of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) leaders took place in July 2006 in St Petersburg, Russia, as a side event of the G8 Outreach Summit. The first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in New York City in September 2006, on the fringes of the UN Assembly’s General Debate, officially established the group as BRIC. The club became the BRICS grouping in 2010 when South Africa joined. (With agency inputs)