Achilles heel in Brics+ quest to shape a new world order
From left: Presidents President Xi Jinping (China), Vladimir Putin (Russia) and Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa) with other world leaders at the Brics summit in Kazan on 24 October 2024.
The last two summits of Brics countries have raised questions about the coalition’s identity and purpose. This began to come into focus at the summit hosted by South Africa in 2023, and more acutely at the recent 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia.
At both events the alliance undertook to expand its membership. In 2023, the first five Brics members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – invited Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join. All bar Saudi Arabia have now done so. The 2024 summit pledged to admit 13 more, perhaps as associates or “partner countries”.
