India has dismissed reports that it is opposed to the expansion of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) grouping. The upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg will discuss admitting new members, and countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan have shown interest in joining the group.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated that India does not have reservations against the expansion and that the country’s position on expansion has been clarified in the past. He mentioned that BRICS members are internally discussing the guiding principles, standards, criteria, and procedures for the expansion process based on full consultation and consensus, as mandated by the leaders last year.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also expressed support for the expansion of BRICS, stating that the addition of new members will further strengthen the organisation.
Regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the summit, Bagchi urged not to rely on speculative media reports. He stated that when the government is ready to announce high-level visits, it will do so.
BRICS is a group of five major developing countries representing a significant portion of the global population, GDP, and trade. The expansion of the group could have implications for the global economic and geopolitical landscape.
