PARIS, September 5. /TASS/. The admission of new members to the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) was a clear success for the group and heralds the transition to a new, multipolar world, former French ambassador to Russia (2017-2019) Sylvie Bermann said in a broadcast of the Le Club program on the website of daily newspaper Le Figaro.
"The admission of new countries [to BRICS] shows the success of the community. No such thing existed before. They now have six new members. And there were more than 40 candidates," she noted.
According to Bermann, such a high level of interest in BRICS among many countries stems from the vision of the world that the group offers, which differs from the Western one.
"Their vision of today's world is that it should be multipolar," she said. "They no longer want to depend on one or two partners; they no longer want to be lectured to."
The French diplomat emphasized that, "this is what the new world is, where the developing countries do not want to adjust to someone else’s perceptions," but rather to exist on an equal footing with others.
Bermann expressed the view that French President Emmanuel Macron’s desire to visit South Africa and attend the BRICS summit was senseless.
"His intention was to persuade all these countries not to support Russia," Bermann said. "I don't think it works that way."
The decision to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to BRICS was made at the organization's summit in Johannesburg in August. It will take effect on January 1, 2024.