DUBAI, October 24. /TASS/. BRICS leaders at the Kazan Summit have decided not to admit any new members to the group at this time but to grant partner status to certain countries, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated.

"BRICS heads of state, in response to requests from 30 to 35 countries to join the group at the Kazan meeting, made a decision that currently no new participants will be admitted, while some countries will join BRICS as partners," IRNA quoted him as saying.

Araghchi noted that at the Kazan Summit, BRICS states developed criteria for partner status. The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that a consensus among all members is necessary for any country to be admitted to the group.

As Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov stated earlier, more than 30 countries have applied to join BRICS, and the prospective expansion of the group will adhere to the partner state criteria defined at the Kazan Summit.

The 16th BRICS Summit, a key event during Russia’s chairmanship in the association, is being held in Kazan from October 22 to 24. The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will become full-fledged members.

During the summit, BRICS leaders adopted the Kazan Declaration, which summarizes the results of the meeting, including their positions on the group’s development, global issues, and regional crises, including those in Ukraine and the Middle East.