BRICS chooses expansion options – Vedomosti

At the 15th BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), which opens on August 22 in Johannesburg, a decision may be made to expand this club. As the South African Foreign Ministry said earlier, 23 countries have submitted official applications for joining the BRICS. On August 21, Nelson Kgwete, a spokesman for the agency, told TASS that leaders from over 40 countries would take part in the upcoming BRICS summit on August 22-24. Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part via videoconference, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Moscow directly on the site.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as reported on his website, said on the eve of the summit that his country supports the expansion of the alliance. “An expanded BRICS will represent a diverse group of countries with different political systems that share a common desire for a more balanced world order,” he said. According to Ramaphosa, “the value of BRICS goes beyond the interests of its current members.” Addressing the nation, Ramaphosa assured that his country “will not be embroiled in rivalry between world powers,” adding that South Africa remains committed to a policy of non-alignment.