BRICS diplomat comments on what is drawing countries to the bloc
Several nations are interested in joining the BRICS group of leading emerging economies due to its unwavering commitment to advocating for the developing world, including Africa, South Africa’s BRICS sherpa, Anil Sooklal, has said.
In an interview with RT, Sooklal explained that BRICS has become a major voice of the Global South that is consistently pushing for a complete overhaul of the Western-dominated global governance structure.
“Our track record for the past 15 years has demonstrated that we have been consistent and we have been calling for a total reform of the global governance architecture… that is outdated and totally out of sync with the global reality that we have in 2023,” he stated.
BRICS is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the only African nation.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the country had applied to join the bloc, a move it deemed critical to ensuring its national interests.
Apart from the East African country, more than a dozen nations, including Iran, Egypt, Bangladesh, Algeria, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia, have formally inquired about BRICS membership.
Sooklal told RT that “close to 25 to 30 countries” have informally “demonstrated deep desire to become part of BRICS’ family.”
He said that the frustration among countries of the Global South due to continually being marginalized is driving them towards BRICS, which is working to create a multipolar and more inclusive world.
“We’re no more weak and powerless. Countries of the Global South are exercising their rights to having equal say in determining the emerging multipolar world that is currently before us,” he emphasized.
BRICS countries account for more than 40% of the global population and approximately 26% of the global economy, and the bloc is currently seeking to expand.
South Africa, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the group, will host the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August.
Sooklal described the gathering as a significant event for the country, highlighting that Pretoria has leveraged its BRICS membership to promote the interests of the African continent.
