South Africa Reveals Which Countries Formally Applied for BRICS Membership

Formal applications to join the BRICS grouping have been submitted by nearly two dozen countries, South African Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Naledi Pandor said at a briefing on Monday.

"We have had formal expressions of interest from the leaders of 23 countries in joining BRICS, and many more informal approaches about the possibilities of BRICS membership," Pandor said.

The South African minister listed the following countries among those that have officially applied to join the bloc, including six African states:

Pandor added that the issue of BRICS expansion will be discussed at the upcoming leaders' summit later this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"The issue of membership expansion has been discussed at different levels since the first BRIC Summit in 2009. South Africa was welcomed to BRICS as the first beneficiary of expansion in 2010 and invited to its first BRICS Summit in 2011," Pandor said.

BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, accounts for 31.5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and 40% of the world's population. The group also operates a development bank and a contingency reserve arrangement to support its members and other developing countries.

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The diplomat attributed the growing interest of the Global South countries in BRICS membership to the current geopolitical situation in the world.

"The current geopolitical context has driven renewed interest in BRICS membership as countries of the Global South look for alternatives in a multi-polar world," Minster Pandor said. "We see this interest as recognition of the voice of BRICS as a champion of the interests of the Global South, particularly our agenda of reform and inclusion of the Global South – true to our founding values."

She noted that BRICS leaders at the upcoming summit will be presented with a special report on the principles of expansion of the association and a list of countries that want to join BRICS.

The minister also highlighted that at least 34 countries have confirmed their participation in the summit.

Earlier, South African Ambassador to Moscow Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka told Sputnik in an interview that all five BRICS countries welcome the expansion of the bloc, but that it is necessary to determine the modalities of admitting new members and that this issue should be decided collectively.

The 15th BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg on August 22-24 and will be attended by the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, with Russia represented by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would participate in the summit via videoconference.