BRICS to pause admitting new members as Türkiye shows growing interest

BRICS has decided to temporarily suspend admitting new members to allow the integration of the recently added countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced.

“By the overwhelming majority, the ten nations decided to ‘take a pause’ with new members to ‘take in’ the new members who have doubled the association,” Lavrov said during a meeting with Natalia Kochanova, the speaker of Belarus’ Council of the Republic.

Lavrov also highlighted that BRICS is working on developing categories of partner countries as preliminary stages before full membership. “We will support our Belarusian friends as well as other like-minded nations,” he added during his official visit to Minsk.

A recent meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in Nizhny Novgorod, held on June 10 and 11, was the first since the expansion of BRICS in 2023. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE joined Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as full-fledged members, bringing the total to 10. With around 30 additional countries expressing interest in cooperating with BRICS, the association is growing more influential on the global stage.

Russia took over the yearlong presidency of BRICS on Jan. 1, 2024. This presidency includes more than 250 events, culminating in the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024.

Türkiye’s growing interest in BRICS

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in a television program on June 24, made significant statements about Türkiye’s engagement with BRICS. Addressing whether Türkiye will seek membership in BRICS, Fidan stated, “We have relations and we are conducting our negotiations with BRICS member countries.”

Fidan emphasized that BRICS should not be seen as an alternative but as a complementary platform. His recent diplomatic efforts, including visits to China and Russia, underscore Türkiye’s increasing interest in BRICS. During these visits, Fidan pointed out that Türkiye’s move toward closer relations with BRICS is partly in response to the European Union’s unfavorable policies toward Türkiye.

The alignment with BRICS is becoming more attractive for Türkiye as the country navigates its international relations and seeks to diversify its global partnerships.

BRIC, originally just Brazil, Russia, India, and China, was invented in 2001 by Jim O’Neill, a top economist at Goldman Sachs. His research highlighted the potential for these countries to become major economic powers.

BRIC isn’t a formal organization like the United Nations or World Bank. Instead, their leaders meet yearly with a rotating chair country leading the discussions.