The countries joining BRICS in 2024 are already contributing to the work of the association in all major areas. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting with representatives of the parliamentary committees on international affairs of the BRICS member states, which was broadcast by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Harmonious integration of new participants into the existing BRICS mechanisms is one of the main priorities of the Russian presidency this year. We see from the results of the events at the level of sherpas, sous-sherpas and in other formats that the new recruits are already making their unique contribution to our common work on the key areas of the agenda”

Sergey Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister
Lavrov noted that the involvement of a wide range of developing countries in interaction with BRICS will help further consolidate the efforts of the global majority to solve common problems.

The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that the cooperation of the BRICS states is based on equal dialogue, consideration of each other’s interests and respect for the countries’ choice of their own path of development. According to him, Russia considers the growing interest of more and more countries of the global South in BRICS to be logical and natural. The BRICS has gone through two waves of expansion since its founding in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the original membership of Brazil, Russia, India and China, and in August 2023 invited six new members: Argentina, Egypt, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Argentina subsequently declined to join the group and the five remaining countries became part of the group from 1 January 2024.

Photo: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (by E. Pesov)