Turkey, Pakistan & More Eye Membership As BRICS Moves Towards Expansion And 'Strengthening Multilateralism'

As BRICS grows from five member states to nine, Russian President and current BRICS chairman Vladimir Putin has stated that around 30 nations have expressed their intent to join the new bloc.

Addressing world leaders at the Plenary Session at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Putin aimed to expand BRICS with "balance".

"It would be wrong to ignore the unprecedented interest of the countries of the Global South and East in strengthening contacts with BRICS," said Putin.

"At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a balance and prevent a decrease in the effectiveness of the BRICS," he said, adding that the grouping would also discuss "acute regional conflicts," the Russian President was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Who Are The New BRICS Members?

As of January 2024, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates were introduced as the newest members of the BRICS bloc.

Argentina had also applied for membership and was invited to join after the South Africa Summit. However, after the election of Javeir Milei, the Latin American country withdrew its application.

Saudi Arabia is also expected to join the alliance soon. Along with Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE, Saudi Arabia had also been invited to join the bloc. However, as per Saudi government officials, the Gulf Country is yet to accept and formally join BRICS.

Who Is On The List?

As per Russian President, over 30 nations have applied or expressed their intentions to join the bloc led by Brazil, Russia, India. China and South Africa.

However, of the 30 nations, around 15 have officially submitted their applications to join BRICS. This list includes countries such as Turkiye, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Algeria had also submitted its application to join BRICS in 2023, however, as of October 2024, the African nation has recalled its request.

Along with these nations, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and Senegal have also applied to be part of BRICS.

By the end of the 16th BRICS Summit, the nine member states are expected to announce the list of nations who have been invited to join the growing bloc.

Focus On Strengthening Multilateralism

Following the recent calls to increase multilateralism at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the theme of the 16th BRICS summit also made a similar call.

The theme - Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security - focuses on creating a fair and equitable global order where all nations have a voice, especially in the fields of trade, investment and security.

Under Russia's Chairmanship, the summit focuses on economic sovereignty and less dependency on the West. Terming themselves as a "non-West, not anti-West" bloc, BRICS aims to establish stronger ties in the Global South and highlight the voice of these nations.