The BRICS summit starting in Kazan, Russia on October 22 will have two times the number of participants following the addition of five new member nations.
Strength Of BRICS Bloc Has Doubled
The strength of the BRICS bloc of top emerging economies has now doubled to ten with the induction of two African countries – Egypt and Ethiopia (besides Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates).
The addition of two more countries of the 55- member African Union, is significant for India.
India’s Trade With African Countries Has Grown
Prof Rajen Harshe, who taught international relations at the South Asian University in Delhi, explained that, “India’s trade with all African countries has grown substantially and our investments are also growing consistently. India is an energy-hungry country and needs to have alternate sources of energy. We also import oil from Angola, Nigeria and Sudan.’’
Inclusion Of Ethiopia And Egypt Is Important
Africa specialist Ruchita Beri, Senior Fellow, Vivekananada International Foundation said that BRICS now has three countries from the African continent following its expansion.
Asked if India would gain by the inclusion of two more African countries, she said,”Ethiopia is a strategic partner of India in Africa. India has had close connections with Ethiopia. It is India’s development partner.’’
Although Ethiopia has had internal turmoil for the last few years, macro-economic reforms and international assistance appear to have put the economy on the path of stability and growth.
Likewise, Egypt is India’s strategic partner. “Egypt is considered an important regional power. India wants to forge closer security relations with Egypt,” she said.
Beri pointed to the widespread sentiment among African countries that the continent has not got its share of representation in any multilateral institution.
African Countries Consider BRICS As An Important Platform
“With India’s efforts, the African Union became a member of G20. African countries see BRICS as a forum that will give them a platform to have their voice heard on issues on which they were marginalized by the world for a long time,’’ she said.
After India and China, Africa as a continent will have the largest population.
“There are at least 34 countries at the moment who have expressed interest in joining BRICS. They feel that BRICS is truly representative of the Global South and that it will become the voice of the Global South,’’ she said.
BRICS Can Be A Very Major Pressure Group
Foreign policy experts are optimistic that the expansion of BRICS can create an alternative world order.
Professor Harshe says that BRICS can become a very major pressure group to influence the constitution of permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
Why Permanent Membership Of Security Council Is Important For India?
Professor Harshe who has authored a book on Africa, said, “A country that is a permanent member of the Security Council becomes the guardian of the world political and security system. That’s why India requires that membership.’’
Likewise, UAE is a very major country in terms of energy, so is Saudi Arabia because resource wise, oil is very important.
Admission Of Large-Sized Countries To BRICS
The addition of large-sized countries to BRICS also means that the forum will represent a huge percentage of the world’s population.
BRICS represents 41% of the world’s population, having 24% of the world GDP and over 16% share in world trade.
BRICS Expansion Makes Sense
Professor Harshe says that since BRICS was built to challenge the western dominance and western rules of the game in international politics, its expansion makes sense.
He said, “All these BRICS countries want to establish an alternative international order. Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Ethiopia, UAE and Saudi Arabia are large-sized countries.’’
BRICS Wants To Reform The Current Multilateral System
But Ruchita Beri thinks BRICS wants to reform the current multilateral system and not replace it.
“I don’t think that BRICS represents an alternate order at the moment. What the BRICS is looking at is reform of the current multilateral system and they want it to be more representative and more inclusive of current global realities.’’
BRICS Is Not An Alliance Against Any Set Of Countries
She emphasized that BRICS is not an alliance against any set of countries. “It has its own priorities. It is an organization which is based on consensus.”
Beri added, “India sees BRICS as a non- western entity and not an anti- western entity. BRICS goes with India’s foreign policy based on strategic autonomy. India wants to be part of several multilateral groupings or mini-lateral groupings. BRICS is one of them.’’
Russia Hosting A Major Multilateral Summit
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, this is a major multilateral summit after two-and-half years of war with Ukraine.
Leaders of BRIC met for the first time in Russia, on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006.
In September 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.
First BRIC Summit Held In 2009
The first BRIC summit was held in Russia in 2009.
BRIC group was renamed BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member in September 2010.
