BRICS: “34 countries have expressed desire to join” - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with high-ranking representatives of BRICS countries on Thursday (Sep. 12).

Russia took the rotating presidency of the group in 2024.

Putin who met with the representatives in the Konstantinovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg announced a possible new wave of BRICS expansion.

"We cannot ignore the increasing interest in BRICS from many countries. Today, more than thirty countries, specifically 34, have expressed a desire to join our union in one form or another. Therefore, an active discussion has been initiated among all BRICS participants regarding the modalities for a new category of partner states."

The meeting is part of the 2-day BRICS security summit set to discuss the parameters of the future world order.

Th intergovernmental organization comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

It has a stated aim to build a multipolar world.

Its founding members have called for a fairer world order and the reform of international institutions like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.