Egypt's contribution to the development of BRICS will strengthen the organization's voice in international affairs and add weight to the formation of international rules, Wang Zhimin, a researcher at the Institute for Foreign Openness at China University of International Business and Economics told Sputnik.
The expert noted that the growth of the prestige of the group, should the country join BRICS, will be ensured by the regional weight of Egypt, which is "the most influential country in the Arab world, which also plays an important role in Africa, the Middle East and international affairs."
"Developing states, especially large developing countries representing the interests of other developing countries, must participate in shaping future international rules," Zhimin said, adding that Egypt has a fairly large economy, and its population exceeds 100 million people.
The analyst added that the issue of expanding BRICS has long been on the agenda. Zhimin pointed out that the fact that 13 countries have expressed a desire to join the group "reflects the desire of developing countries to better express their common position and convey their aspirations."
On June 14, the Russian ambassador to Egypt told Sputnik that Moscow supported Cairo's application to join BRICS straightaway, which should happen after the final agreement on the criteria and procedures for admitting new countries.
Several other countries intend to join the economic bloc, including Argentina, Iran, as well as, according to the Foreign Ministry of China, Indonesia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.