About 13 countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS. This was announced on January 22 by South African Ambassador to Moscow Mzuvukile Maketuka.
“There are countries that have officially applied, there are six of them, and there are countries that have expressed interest. I personally expect that priority will be on the side of those who have already applied,” the ambassador said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
He noted that Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the contenders for entry.
According to the diplomat, it is important to determine the criteria for the entry of new countries into the union.
“But in this process, we will have to obtain the consent of all BRICS participants. South Africa will not decide for everyone. This is how BRICS works – on the principle of consensus, we have no right of veto,” Maketuka added.
This year, the BRICS summit will be held in August.
In June, at the XIV BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the role of the organization is now especially in demand for building a multipolar world.
At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that, despite the importance of the BRICS, this association will not become an alternative to the G20, since these are different mechanisms.
BRICS is an informal interstate association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
