BRICS announces historic admission of six new members
JOHANNESBURG: BRICS leaders announced on Thursday
the "historic" admission of six new countries from next year as the club of
large and populous emerging economies seeks to reshape the global order.
The BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- agreed at their
annual summit to make Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the
United Arab Emirates full members from January 1.
"This membership expansion is historic," said Chinese President Xi Jinping,
whose nation is the most powerful in the group of non-Western states that
represents a quarter of the world economy.
"The expansion is also a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. It will
bring new vigour to the BRICS cooperation mechanism and further strengthen
the force for world peace and development".