South African Foreign Min-5 Countries Confirm Joining BRICS

Speaking at a press conference, South African Foreign Minsiter Naledi Pandor has stated that five of the six nations invited to joing the BRICS group at the start of the year have confirmed that they are joining the bloc of emerging market economies. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have all confirmed their joining the bloc according to Pandor, with Argentina the only invitee that has refused to align with the BRICS. Russia takes over the presidency of the BRICS group from South Africa in 2024.

• Nevertheless, the addition of some of the major economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region significantly expands the scope of the BRICS group. While the grouping has little in the way of formal powers, the addition of the new members will see it become the major global summit without a US or European presence.
• Given the heightened global geopolitical risks associated with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, heightened tensions in Asia on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea, and a slew of high-profile elections in 2024, the presence of key global players such as Saudi and Iran in the BRICS format could see countries such as China and Russia become an increasingly influential voice on many of the issues highlighted above.