South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Thursday that the BRICS club of emerging nations will admit six new members, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran, at the start of next year.
"We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, 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 members of BRICS. The membership will take effect from the first of January 2024," Ramaphosa told a summit in Johannesburg.
Calls to enlarge the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - had dominated the agenda at its three-day summit and exposed divisions among the bloc over the pace and criteria for admitting new members.
But the group, which makes decisions by consensus, had agreed on "the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process", said Ramaphosa.
New world order
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the interest of other countries to join the BRICS organisation showed how relevant its pursuit for a new world economic order is.
"We will remain open to new candidates," Lula said at a news conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed the announcement Thursday that his country would be among six new members of the BRICS club of emerging nations.
"A great moment for Ethiopia as the BRICS leaders endorse our entry into this group today. Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous global order," Abiy said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
'Historic development'
A senior adviser to Iran's president hailed the decision as a triumph of diplomacy for the Islamic republic.
"Permanent membership in the group of global emerging economies is considered a historic development and a strategic success for the foreign policy of the Islamic republic," Mohammad Jamshidi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Nearly two dozen countries had formally applied to join the club, which represents a quarter of the global economy and more than three billion people.
Some 50 other heads of state and government are attending the summit in Johannesburg, which concludes on Thursday.
