MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. BRICS will only add to its supremacy over the Group of Seven after its new members come on as full partners on January 1, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Following BRICS’ expansion when its new members begin full-scale participation in its work from January 1, 2024, its competitive edge over the G7 will grow significantly," he said at the Primakov Readings forum.

BRICS currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Twenty-three countries officially applied for BRICS membership in August 2023. The August 22-24 BRICS summit invited Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia to join the association starting on January 1, 2024.

The 9th Primakov Readings international forum is being held in Moscow from November 27 to 28. TASS is the general information partner of the Primakov Readings international forum and conference.