JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. /TASS/. No one can question the growing influence of the BRICS countries on the world stage at the moment, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said.

"Today, no one can question the growing influence of BRICS, so we are working without hesitation on its further expansion, which will further strengthen the importance and representativeness of the association," he said at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.

The president drew attention to the modest achievements of the world community in the fight against climate change, which is linked to the fact that "our grandchildren and children will inherit not only an unrecognizable, but also an uninhabited planet." The attitude of developed Western countries and large transnational corporations toward environmental protection "does not take into account all the achievements of the countries of our [Global] South" in this area, Diaz-Canel said. The G7 and BRICS "have the responsibility and the capacity to act to change this unjust world order," he added.

The BRICS summit was held in Johannesburg on August 22-24 under the South African presidency. At the end of the summit, it became known about the decision of the BRICS participants to accept Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia as full members of the association from January 1, 2024. A new list of potential members will be drawn up for the next summit.