BRICS leaders declared on Thursday the admission of six new countries from next year as the club of enormous and populous emerging economies aspires to reshape the global order.

The BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- agreed at their annual summit to make Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates full members from January 1.

"This membership expansion is historic," said Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nation is the most powerful in the group of non-Western states that represents a quarter of the world's economy.

"The expansion is also a new starting point for cooperation. It will bring new vigour to the cooperation mechanism and further strengthen the force for world peace and development."

India has always supported the expansion of BRICS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi later congratulated the new member, saying, "India has always supported the expansion of BRICS. India has always believed that adding new members will strengthen as an organisation," he said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says membership will take effect from January 1, 2024. "This summit reaffirmed the importance of BRICS, people-to-people exchanges & enhancing friendship & cooperation...We adopted the Johannesburg two declarations which reflect key messages on matters of global economic, financial & political importance. It demonstrates the shared values & common interests that underlie our mutually beneficial cooperation as the five BRICS countries..." he added. 

We have agreement on the first phase of this expansion process," Mr Ramaphosa said in Johannesburg, "We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, to become full members..."

"Speaking immediately after Mr Ramaphosa's announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Johannesburg to attend the BRICS Summit, welcomed all six nations and vowed to work with the other nations to continue adding nations that express interest in joining.

"I take this opportunity to welcome these six nations to BRICS... and I congratulate the leaders and people of these nations. India has close ties, historic ties, with each of these countries and I believe we will work together for a new era of cooperation and prosperity."

BRICS expansion has been a major focus area at this summit and over 20 countries have already applied for full membership. Expansion calls were also backed by China President Xi Jinping, who said, "We need to... accelerate the expansion processes... to pool our strengths (and) our wisdom to make global governance more just and equitable."

BRICS

A senior adviser to Iran's president on Thursday hailed the country's forthcoming entrance to the BRICS grouping as an accomplishment of diplomacy for the Islamic Republic. "Permanent membership in the group of global emerging economies is considered a historic development and a strategic success for the foreign policy of the Islamic republic," Mohammad Jamshidi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Whereas Ethiopia's PM praises BRICS entrance as a 'great moment for the country. 

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