Saudi Arabia officially announced its membership in the BRICS group on Tuesday, following an invitation extended during the group’s summit in August last year in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Saudi news channel “Al-Ekhbariya” reported that the Kingdom’s full membership in the BRICS group, which includes Russia, China, and other nations, began today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Monday, as Russia assumed the presidency of the BRICS group, that the inclusion of new members into the group underscores its growing influence and role in global affairs.
He stated, “Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia have joined BRICS as full members. This convincingly demonstrates the growing power of the group and its role in global affairs.”
He continued, “BRICS is attracting more and more like-minded allies and countries,” adding, “With a focus on positive and creative cooperation with all interested nations, Russia’s presidency of the BRICS group in 2024 will work under the slogan of enhancing diversity for fair global development and security.”
Putin also noted that “the desires of many countries to join the BRICS group in one way or another will be taken into account.”
Last month, President Putin emphasized that Russia’s presidency of the BRICS group would be dedicated to achieving a fair global system conducive to shared and effective development.
Russia currently holds the rotating presidency of the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In recent times, 23 countries, including Argentina, Iran, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, have expressed their interest in joining the economic alliance.
Following the BRICS summit held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24 last year, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia were formally invited to join BRICS, with their full membership commencing on January 1, 2024.
BRICS is one of the world’s most significant economic alliances, representing approximately 30% of the global economy.
