BRICS expansion a message to global institutions to change with times: Modi

New DelhiWith the BRICS deciding to admit six countries as its full members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the “expansion and modernisation” of the grouping is a message that all global institutions need to mould themselves according to the changing times.

At a media briefing along with the BRICS leaders in Johannesburg, Modi said inclusion of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the new members will give the grouping new momentum and energy. The decision on expansion of the five-nation grouping was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the end of the three-day BRICS summit in Johannesburg. He said the new member nations will become part of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) with effect from January 1, 2024. In his media statement in presence of Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Modi said India has always fully supported the expansion of the BRICS membership. “India has been of the view that the addition of new members will further strengthen BRICS as an organisation, and give a new impetus to all our common endeavours,” he said.