India Welcomes New BRICS Members at Russia Meeting

Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia were all publicly accepted as full members at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. This was a big change. This was the first meeting at the cabinet level for the group since it grew in 2023. It was held by Russians. Senior Diplomat Dammu Ravi was in charge of the Indian group. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was not there because he had other duties for the government.

Strategic Partnership and Commitments

BRICS ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the BRICS Strategic Partnership, which is built on three main pillars: politics and security; the economy and finance; and culture and people-to-people exchanges. They said they were committed to multilateralism and the UN Charter and pushed for a more open and effective UN Security Council. The group also talked about how important the G20 is, pointing out that India, Brazil, and South Africa will all be presidents in a row from 2023 to 2025, which should help fix problems with the world’s economies.

Global Diplomatic Stances and Concerns

The ministers pushed for peaceful dispute settlement through diplomacy as they talked about current global conflicts. The situation in Ukraine and the rising bloodshed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were both given extra attention. The ministers spoke out against the military operations in Gaza and demanded that UNSC resolution 2728 be followed. They also asked for an instant end to the fighting and the release of all civilians who were being held captive.

Counterterrorism and Technology

All kinds of terrorism were condemned by the ministers, and the overuse of technology in terrorism was brought to light. They called for a broad approach to fighting terrorism that would include stopping the funding of terrorism and the use of social media by terrorists. Climate action was also talked about at the meeting, and everyone was urged to fully follow the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement. In terms of the economy, the ministers spoke out against nationalistic policies that hurt global trade and pushed for the World Trade Organization to support a fair, open system of international trade.

More About BRICS expansion

• Expansion and Geopolitical Influence: The BRICS group, which was made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa at first, is looking into adding new members like Iran, Indonesia, and Argentina. The goal of this possible growth is to make BRICS more diverse in terms of geography and economics. The plan to grow is part of BRICS’s reaction to the changing balance of power in the world, and it will give them more power in international negotiations.
• Criteria and Negotiation Process: Adding new members is decided through a process of complicated talks. Key factors being looked at for new members are their ability to contribute to the economy, their political alignment, and the size of their possible markets. Making sure that new members agree with BRICS’s political and economic goals is a very important part of the decision-making process.
• Ambitions and Global Governance: The strategic expansion of BRICS shows that the group wants to change the way global government works. By adding more countries, BRICS hopes to increase its power and impact on the world stage. The group’s desire to add new members shows that it wants to have a bigger impact on how the world runs and how economic policies are made.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2024

Category: International / World Current Affairs • Summits and Conferences