Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov predicted on Wednesday that the BRICS group of emerging economies would play a greater role in solving global problems after adding Asian, African and Latin American members to the fold.
"This step was very long overdue. And it confirmed that the solidary voice of BRICS in defense of the interests of the Global South and the world majority is extremely in demand in modern international relations … I am convinced that in the current conditions, the role of BRICS in solving global problems will only increase," he said in New York.
Lavrov spoke at a BRICS ministerial meeting that took place on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly. He thanked South Africa for a very productive chairmanship of the five-nation bloc and said that the six new members —Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — all had potential for contributing to BRICS development.
"All of these countries support the fundamental goals and values of BRICS, including the spirit of solidarity, equality, mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness, and of course mutually beneficial cooperation based on consensus," the Russian diplomat said.
The leaders of BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, agreed at a summit in August to send official invitations to the six candidate countries that are set to formally join the bloc on January 1, 2024.