Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that his country would join the BRICS bloc soon.
BRICS is an intergovernmental economic bloc originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc's new members are Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Speaking in Russia at the weekend after attending an economic forum there, Mnangagwa said: "On joining BRICS, I discussed that issue with my dear brother, President (Vladimir) Putin (of Russia), telling him that it is our desire to join the bloc.
"I also had earlier on discussed it with my neighbour, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. The prospects are good because none of the BRICS members are anti-Zimbabwe. We also have excellent relations with China and Brazil."
Combined, the BRICS bloc has a gross domestic product (GDP) of at least $25.85 trillion in 2022, which is slightly more than that of the United States.
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