Iran, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt join the BRICS

2023-08-24 09:03:00

The Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), meeting at the summit in Johannesburg, will welcome six new members to gain influence in the world. Applications from Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were accepted by the five founding countries, with unanimity being the rule. Some forty nations had applied for membership or expressed an interest.

Ethiopia referred to a « moment fort » through the voice of its Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. “ Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous world order “, he wrote on his account X (ex-Twitter). ” Congratulations to all Ethiopians! “, Can we also read on the X account of the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s office.

Traditionally non-aligned, Ethiopia maintains close ties with Russia and China, its main trading partner, as well as the United States, although relations with Washington have been strained during the two-year conflict in the Tigray region. (northern Ethiopia) which ended in November 2022. Ethiopia was during the 2010 decade one of the most dynamic economies in the world. However, its growth has been halted by the Covid-19 pandemic, climatic calamities, the conflict in Tigray and the global shock wave of the war in Ukraine.

Immediately after the announcement, Tehran for its part saluted on X “un historical development and a strategic success for foreign policy ” from the country. The United Arab Emirates also welcomed their integration, with President Mohammed bin Zayed saying ” respect the vision of the leaders of the Brics “. According to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the talks lead to “ a historic expansion “, predicting a” bright future for the BRICS countries ».

The US is not worried

On Wednesday, Pretoria announced that all member countries had agreed on the principle of an expansion. ” We have adopted a document that defines the guidelines, principles and review processes for countries wishing to become members of the BRICS “, had welcomed the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naledi Pandor.

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China, which weighs around 70% of the group’s GDP, had clearly reiterated its intention to gain power during the summit. ” The Brics must work in favor of multilateralism and not create small blocs. We need to bring more countries into the Brics family “, enjoined the president Xi Jinping.

India, another economic engine of the group which is wary of the ambitions of its Chinese regional rival and had not expressed itself on a possible expansion at the opening of the summit on Tuesday, before declaring support for the opening, subject to agreement on terms. In addition to India, Brazil, officially in favor of openness, feared that an expansion would diluted » his influence globally and within the bloc, according to specialists. Pretoria pleaded for the integration of African countries, on a continent that has become a new chessboard in the world diplomatic game.

The Brics reaffirmed their position ” unaligned during the summit, at a time when divisions have been accentuated by the conflict in Ukraine. ” We all stand for a multipolar world order said Vladimir Putin. Under an international arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine, the Russian president spoke at the summit by videoconference. The United States said on Tuesday that it did not see the Brics as future ” geopolitical rivals “, ensuring that he wants to maintain “solides relations with Brazil, India and South Africa.

(With AFP)