BRICS meet with 'friends' seeking closer ties amid push to expand bloc
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[June 02, 2023]
By Wendell Roelf
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Senior officials from over a dozen countries
including Saudi Arabia and Iran were in talks on closer links with the
BRICS bloc of major emerging economies on Friday as it met to deepen
ties and position itself as a counterweight to the West.
BRICS, which now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa, is considering expanding its membership, and a growing number of
countries, mostly from the global South, have expressed interest in
joining.
Once viewed as a loose association of disparate emerging economies,
BRICS has in recent years taken more concrete shape, driven initially by
China and, since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, with
added impetus from Russia.
In remarks opening Friday's discussions, host South Africa's Foreign
Minister Naledi Pandor spoke of the bloc as a champion of the developing
world, which she said was abandoned by wealthy states and global
institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The world has faltered in cooperation. Developed countries have never
met their commitments to the developing world and are trying to shift
all responsibility to the global South," Pandor said.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan all sent representatives to
Cape Town for so-called "Friends of BRICS" talks, an official programme
showed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/02/images/ads/current/graue_sda_PROMGRAD_2023.png)
Egypt, Argentina, Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau and Indonesia were
participating virtually.
BRICS heavyweight China said last year it wanted the bloc to launch a
process to admit new members. And other members have pointed to
countries they would like to see join the club.
However, officials said on Thursday there was still work to be done and
appeared mindful of the need to proceed carefully.
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![](../images/060223PIX/news_a62.jpg)
Foreign ministers of BRICS nations pose
for a family photo with representatives from Africa and the global
South during a summit in Cape Town, South Africa, June 2, 2023.
Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/02/images/ads/current/heartlandcollege_lda_060123.jpg)
"BRICS is a history of success," Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro
Vieira said. "The group is also a brand and an asset, so we have to
take care of it."
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Thursday's
talks had included deliberations on the guiding principles,
standards, criteria and procedures of what an expanded BRICS bloc
would look like.
"This is still work in progress," he added.
India's foreign ministry has previously emphasised the need for a
common policy for such an expansion, rather than the consideration
of candidacies on an individual basis.
South Africa's Pandor said the foreign ministers were aiming to
complete work on a framework for admitting new members before BRICS
leaders meet at a summit in Johannesburg in August.
Preparations for that summit are going forward under a cloud of
controversy due to the possible attendance of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, who is the target of a warrant issued by the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
As an ICC member, South Africa would face pressure to arrest Putin
were he to travel to the summit.
Pretoria has said it is still considering its legal options for
hosting the Russian president.
(Additional reporting by Carien du Plessis in Johannesburg and
Krishn Kaushik; Editing by Joe Bavier and Mark Heinrich)
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