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June 3rd, 2023 
Awake Goy 
More than 20 nations, including Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, have expressed interest in joining the economic bloc
The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia took part in a ministerial meeting of the BRICS economic bloc in Cape Town, South Africa, on 1 June, for discussions that included the possible expansion of the group – which is currently made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Russian and Indian counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to discuss bilateral relations and the kingdom’s interest in joining the bloc.
More than 20 countries have “formally or informally” requested to join the BRICS bloc, according to South Africa’s ambassador to BRICS, Anil Sooklal. Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE each have made official requests.
“Amid the west’s actions, our countries should actively seek universal joint responses to challenges,” Lavrov said during the summit, adding that this is about such challenges as “attempts to undermine the foundations of collective, equal and indivisible security, regional conflicts, international terrorism, and transnational crime.”
“I am confident that under current conditions, the role of BRICS in facilitating the resolution of global issues should only grow, especially since our alliance remains an example of genuine multilateralism,” Lavrov said.
South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, who hosted Thursday’s talks, confirmed that an invitation had been extended to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend a larger BRICS summit scheduled for August.
Putin’s participation will come despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him for “war crimes” committed in Ukraine. However, Pretoria has already granted diplomatic immunity to Russian officials attending, which its foreign affairs department described as standard procedure.
“BRICS has acquired a very important stature in the world, with many countries across various continents of our world seeking to be part of it,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told lawmakers in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The expansion of BRICS and their reported development of a new currency to counter the US dollar are being heralded by many in the Global South as a tectonic shift in international relations.
“We are following the trend of [developing] a multipolar world and democratizing international relations, adhering to genuine multilateralism, seeking to strengthen the voice and influence of the developing countries in world affairs, and promoting the reform and building a system of global governance,” Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ma Zhaoxu, said on Thursday.
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Filed under: China, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa | Tagged: Brazil, BRICS+, Lavrov, Prince Faisal bin Farhan |
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