JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will join BRICS on January 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference following the group’s 15th summit on Thursday.

"We decided to invite the Republic of Argentina, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full-fledged members of BRICS," the South African leader said, adding that their membership will come into force on January 1, 2024.

More than 20 countries have applied to join BRICS. Apart from the new future members, these include Algeria and Indonesia. Jamil Chade, a reporter at Brazil’s UOL news portal, said earlier that the geographical factor was among the main selection criteria designed to ensure a regional balance within the group.

The 2023 BRICS summit is being held in South Africa’s Johannesburg on August 22-24. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said the BRICS leaders had eventually agreed principles for admitting new members. In all, 22 nations have applied for membership.