KAZAN: The BRICS countries have reached a consensus on the criteria for potential partner states, as announced during the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan. Yury Ushakov, an aide to the President of the Russian Federation, revealed that a list of 13 countries has been finalized for potential future expansion of the economic bloc, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, Ushakov emphasized that the expansion of BRICS will be guided by a newly established filtering criterion designed for partner states. While the names of the 13 countries under consideration have not been disclosed, Ushakov mentioned that further discussions are required to determine whether these nations are ready for full membership or a different form of association within BRICS.
The ongoing summit in Kazan marks a significant moment as it is the first to welcome BRICS’ newest members, including Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, who joined as full members at the
start of 2024. The summit, chaired by Russia, has seen participation from representatives of over 30 countries since its inception in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011.