South Africa BRICS Summit Meeting Member Countries Agenda Aim and Decisions.
BRICS operates on a system of consensus, requiring unanimous agreement among its members. The group was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa becoming a member in 2010. A recent significant announcement was made in Johannesburg’s upscale Sandton financial district. Notably, Iran and Saudi Arabia were invited to join the BRICS bloc, signaling a stronger partnership between China and Russia during times of tension with the West.
Starting from January 1, 2024, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia also became part of the BRICS community, expanding the group to include 11 nations alongside existing members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This announcement followed a two-day summit attended by leaders such as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Russian President Vladimir Putin, due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant related to the war in Ukraine, participated virtually.
According to Mohammad Jamshidi, the political deputy of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, joining BRICS marked “a strategic victory for Iran’s foreign policy.” The expansion of BRICS, backed largely by China and Russia, gained momentum over several months. The five leaders conducted closed-door talks on Tuesday and Wednesday, culminating in an agreement on the expansion and a final list of participating countries.