NEW DELHI, August 8. /TASS/. The BRICS association can expand to 20 members and become the Group of Twenty (G20), which originated in the East. President of the New Delhi-based think tank ImagIndia Institute, Robinder Sachdev expressed this opinion in an interview with TASS.
The expert considers the BRICS expansion promising.
"It is good idea. In case of enlargement, I would say that BRICS could first expand to total 20 members, to become something like a new G20 which has taken birth from Eurasia, East, Global South. Then after 5 years, it could consider how much more to enlarge," Sadchev said.
According to the political scientist, it is important for the current BRICS members to agree on the ideological parameters of the union before proceeding with expansion.
"There are many other international organizations, like the United Nations, European Union, African Union, Arab League, SCO, ASEAN, G20, and G7, and therefore BRICS will have to create its own space and find a way to be as effective or more effective than them," the analyst stressed
"The question is if BRICS remains a grouping of 5, then can it become as effective as the G7? If BRICS becomes a grouping of say, 20 countries, then does BRICS become as effective as the EU, or the G20? Or, if BRICS becomes a membership of 100+ countries, then does it become a mini-UN?" Sadchev noted.
According to the expert, BRICS can become a group that will act as a pole in the emerging multipolar world, be able to give leadership in solving trade and economic challenges, in financial stability and currency reforms globally and in solving global climate and energy challenges, as well as be able to act unitedly in other world forums like the UN and for UN reforms".
Currently, the BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. From 22 to 24 August, Johannesburg will host BRICS summit. As South African Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Naledi Pandor said earlier, the expansion of the group will be discussed at the meeting. According to the diplomat, 23 countries have filed formal applications to join the BRICS - these are Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Honduras, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand and Ethiopia.