PRETORIA, February 14. /TASS/. The concept and principles of the expansion of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) will be hammered out in the next three months and presented at the meeting of foreign ministers of member states in June, Ambassador at Large for Asia and BRICS in South Africa’s foreign ministry, the country’s BRICS Sherpa Anil Sooklal told TASS On Tuesday.
"At the meeting of sherpas and sous-sherpas of BRICS member states that took place in early February in South Africa, we started discussing the expansion of BRICS, thus beginning to carry out the decision made in June 2022 at the BRICS summit to develop criteria for accepting new countries into the group," he said.
Sherpas at the South Africa meeting agreed to develop and adopt the concept for BRICS expansion, the diplomat said. "In the next three months we will have another three meetings in order to reach a consensus on the criteria of recommendations, principles and approaches for BRICS enlargement," he said. "A corresponding report is expected to be submitted for consideration to BRICS foreign ministers, whose meeting will be held in early June. Major efforts are underway now on the concept for BRICS expansion and criteria for adopting new members," Sooklal noted.
Algeria, Argentina and Iran have already applied to join BRICS. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt have announced their interest in membership in the group.
In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China founded the BRIC group. The Republic of South Africa entered the organization in 2011, turning it into BRICS. This year the country chairs the group. The summit of BRICS member states will be held in the city of Durban in August.