Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:03pm on 02 Jan 2024,Tuesday International
The BRICS alliance has grown to 10 member countries with the addition of 5 new states, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now full members of the bloc. BRICS was originally formed in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China as members, later expanding to include South Africa in 2010. Argentina had been approved to join but withdrew its candidacy last week. According to Putin, the new members signal the "growing authority" of BRICS on the global stage. Under Russia's 2022 presidency, BRICS will focus on strengthening multilateralism and working towards an equitable world order. Over 200 BRICS events are planned in Russia this year, culminating in a summit in Kazan in October.
