The BRICS countries have agreed on the key principles for the expansion of the group, media reported on Wednesday, citing South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.
“We have agreed on the matter of expansion. We have a document that we have adopted that sets out the guidelines and principles, processes for considering countries that wish to become members of the BRICS,” Pandor said on Ubuntu Radio, a station run by South Africa’s foreign ministry.
Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping particularly hailed the idea of BRICS expansion, stressing that 20 countries have already applied for membership and many more are welcome to join in order to enhance mutual development.
BRICS unites the world's largest developing economies, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. A number of other countries intend to join the economic bloc, including Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and others. South Africa, which assumed the rotating BRICS chairmanship in January, is hosting the 15th BRICS summit on August 22-24.