India believes that BRICS' potential expansion should be subject to full consensus among all member states, while New Delhi itself holds a "positive intent and open mind" about it, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Monday.
"Somebody mentioned a large number of countries having expressed interest in the expansion of BRICS. No doubt that there is considerable interest in many countries to become part of BRICS, to associate themselves with BRICS, to leverage different opportunities that BRICS and cooperation under BRICS present. In so far as the BRICS expansion is concerned, we have been very clear from the start that we have positive intent and an open mind when it comes to the BRICS expansion," Kwatra told a briefing, commenting on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the upcoming BRICS summit.
The diplomat added that "all the BRICS countries have to have full consensus on how they would want BRICS expanded and what should be the guiding principles of that expansion," the matters that he said would be discussed by member states in South Africa.
South African Ambassador to Russia Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka told Sputnik earlier in August that all BRICS member states welcomed expansion but it should be something decided collectively and after determining all related modalities.
The BRICS summit will take place in Johannesburg from Tuesday to Thursday.