BRICS Summit Opens With Foreign Ministers And Numerous Countries Interested In Joining The Coalition

The foreign ministers of the BRICS bloc of countries met in Cape Town and called for a 'multipolar' world order. Image: Foreign Ministry Press Service/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO  

Reuters: BRICS meet with 'friends' seeking closer ties amid push to expand bloc 

CAPE TOWN, June 2 (Reuters) - Senior officials from more than a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, were in talks on forging closer links with the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies on Friday as it met to deepen ties and position itself as a counterweight to the West. 

BRICS, which now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is considering expanding its membership, and a growing number of countries have expressed interest in joining. 

Once viewed as a loose association of disparate emerging economies, BRICS has in recent years taken more concrete shape, driven initially by China and, since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, with added impetus from Russia. 

In remarks opening Friday's discussions, host South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor spoke of the bloc as a champion of the developing world, which she said was abandoned by wealthy states and global institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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WNU Editor: There appears to be a recognition among many nations that their future is not with the G7, but with something else .... BRICS: European Countries Requesting Membership Into the Bloc. 

BRICS Summit Opens With Foreign Ministers And Numerous Countries Interested In Joining The Coalition  

BRICS open to enlargement in call for 'multipolar' world -- DW  

BRICS foreign ministers meet with expansion in focus; group eyes cooperation, not confrontation -- Global Times  

BRICS meet with ‘friends’ seeking closer ties amid push to expand bloc -- SCMP  

BRICS FM meeting in South Africa: What’s on the agenda? -- Indian Express