BRICS reached consensus on expansion process; may include Saudi Arabia, Argentina: China

China on Friday, May 27, said that Foreign Ministers of Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) have “reached consensus on its expansion process” and have agreed to include new developing countries. Beijing is holding a rotating Presidency of BRICS bloc this year, and its foreign ministry said Friday that it actively supports expansion of five-member group. remark comes just a day after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Saudi Arabia and Argentina have expressed a desire to join group. 

BRICS May 19 Foreign Ministers’ virtual meeting included Foreign Ministers of Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nigeria, Senegal and Thailand who were also given a formal invitation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also took part in BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting convened by his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. BRICS' New Development Bank (NDB) has already enrolled Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt and Uruguay as its official members.

Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-affiliated TASS that oil-rich Arab world countries have shown interest to join BRICS and establishing partner relations with eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which includes India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

“China will work on BRICS-related parties to continue to have in-depth discussions on BRICS expansion and determine standards and procedures for that on basis of consensus,” Beijing’s  Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at conference.

“We look forward to more like-minded partners joining big family of BRICS,” he added. 

Interest in BRICS shown by 'our Saudi friends and Argentina': Russia's FM

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, was quoted as saying by state-affiliated TASS that interest in BRICS was shown by “our Saudi friends and Argentina, which stated desire to become a full-fledged BRICS member, coming from mouth of its (Argentina) Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero.” Lavrov stated that preparations are being made to organise next summit and that outreach format will be established within its framework. More than a dozen developing ecomies will participate, said Russia’s foreign minister. 

Affirming Lavrov’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs, that includes India, have reached a consensus on BRICS expansion process.

“As BRICS Chair this year, China actively supports start of BRICS expansion process and broadens 'BRICS Plus' cooperation,” Wenbin told a media briefing. He iterated that BRICS cooperation is “open and inclusive”.