The BRICS Summit will take place in South Africa from August 22 to 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend. India has reaffirmed its position on enlargement, dispelling suspicions of opposition, as talks on adding additional members to the five-nation club continue.
The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit in South Africa is anticipated to be a platform for deliberating the inclusion of new members. Amid keen interest from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Iran, Venezuela, Bolivia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan, the summit will focus on discussing guiding principles, standards, criteria, and procedures for the expansion process.
Contrary to baseless speculation, India is not opposed to the expansion of BRICS. Prime Minister Modi conveyed his acceptance to attend the summit in a telephonic conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Ministry of External Affairs affirmed India’s acceptance of the invitation, dispelling any doubts about India’s stance on the matter.
The absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin from the summit does not diminish the desire for growth among the other BRICS members. The organisation will get stronger as a result of the addition of new members, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. This expansion is viewed as a strategy to counterbalance the allegedly dominant role of the US-led West in world affairs.
With 41% of the world's population, 24% of its GDP, and 16% of its trade, the BRICS group of nations is made up of the five largest emerging nations on the planet. The bloc's potential to be a major participant on the world arena is highlighted by China and Russia's cooperation in promoting expansion.
While India is not against the idea of expansion, it has expressed reservations about accepting more members. The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi at the weekly briefing said: “We have seen some baseless speculation that India has reservations against the expansion. This is simply not true.”