South Africa ANC party calls for more Global South inclusion in BRICS
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This comes after a group of countries including Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE expressed interest in joining.
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South Africa at BRICS meeting (Biznews)
The ruling party of South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), is advocating to expand the BRICS group, which the country chairs this year, as announced in a draft policy document.
According to the party's commission on international relations, "The ANC and ANC-led government should support the expansion of BRICS by admitting additional members on the basis of formally agreed criteria, principles, and values," as it emphasized the significance of replacing the rhetoric and influence of "hegemonic developed countries in the global North".
The ANC further called out NATO for shipping arms to Ukraine and the "punitive and cruel sanctions" against such countries as Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, and Zimbabwe.
South Africa took over the role of chair from China. Officials state that an upcoming summit is planned alongside other meetings and joint events with members of BRICS.
This comes after a group of countries including Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE expressed interest in joining. Indonesia, however, had its ambassador tell Sputnik that his country is contemplating the "advantages and disadvantages of becoming a member of BRICS".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov announced in November that Russia welcomes Algeria's desire to join the BRICS economic bloc. The Algerian Foreign Ministry's special envoy for international partnership Leila Zaruki told Al-Shorouk newspaper that Algeria formally applied on Monday to join the economic association.
Furthermore, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced in June that the Islamic Republic had submitted its application for membership in the BRICS. A series of consultations have taken place in this regard, according to Saeed Khatibzadeh.
He stated that while the BRICS is not a treaty or an international agreement, they are based on a very creative mechanism with broad implications.
BRICS countries account for around 27% of the planet's land area, alongside more than 41% of the world’s population and more than 26% of the world's GDP.
