Russia Claims 20 Countries Want To Join BRICS

Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (center) met with the heads of diplomatic missions of accredited BRICS countries in Moscow./DOK PHOTO via Instagram @rusemb_indonesia

JAKARTA - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said about 20 countries wanted to join BRICS, the bloc of developing countries consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The increasing number of countries seeking cooperation with BRICS, Ryabkov said, shows the importance of the bloc in the global arena.

"Discussions continue on what is the criterion for joining BRICS, and South Africa has intensified this work," he told TASS news agency reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15.

An in-depth conversation about this took place at a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town, South Africa, in early June, and additional discussions are expected to be held before the BRICS summit in August.

Ryabkov said South Africa's access to the bloc was a successful experience, given the decision was made under the agreement of the other members.

"I think strong candidates can refer to this experience, predict for themselves what is possible and impossible," he said.

Ryabkov urged other BRICS members to be open when deciding to accept new members.

According to him, Russia likes the idea of taking Arab and Asian-Pacific countries because they are underrepresented in BRICS.