Over 30 nations seek to join BRICS: Russian president Putin announces at plenary session
BRIC, as a formal grouping, started after the meeting of the Leaders of Russia, India and China in St Petersburg on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of UNGA in New York in 2006.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that over 30 countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS alliance, during his address at the 16th BRICS Summit. Speaking at the Plenary Session held at the Kazan Expo Center in Kazan, Putin emphasized the importance of carefully managing the group's expansion while maintaining its efficiency.
"We cannot ignore the unprecedented interest from the Global South and East in strengthening ties with BRICS," Putin stated. He stressed the need for balance in expansion efforts to ensure the group's effectiveness is not compromised. The Russian leader also noted that the summit would address critical regional conflicts.
Expansion of BRICS Under Discussion
The session focused heavily on the future of BRICS, with Putin affirming that discussions regarding the group's expansion are ongoing. He emphasised that any enlargement must be strategically planned to preserve the integrity and operational efficiency of BRICS.
The expansion talks follow a history of BRICS enlargement, which saw South Africa join in 2010, and five new members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—join in 2024.
Bilateral Talks and Future Developments
On the sidelines of the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. This marks the first formal interaction between the two leaders in five years and follows an agreement to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted that the summit's key focus is establishing guidelines for a partner country model within BRICS. Misri noted that discussions between PM Modi and President Putin have touched on this model, although it remains a work in progress.
