This country is following up!, More than a dozen countries are queuing up to apply to join the BRICS countries. BRICS | Russia | Countries
On June 15th, an article titled "How Egypt Will Strengthen the BRICS Mechanism - Experts Explaining the Importance of Egypt's Joining the BRICS Countries" was published on the website of the Russian newspaper "Viewpoint". The authors were Yevgeny Pozniakov and Alyona Zadorozhnaya. The full text is excerpted as follows:
More and more countries hope to join the BRICS. As one of the most influential countries in the Arab world, Egypt has recently officially submitted an application. Russia supports this initiative. What is the motivation behind Cairo? What benefits will Egypt's accession to the BRICS countries bring to other member countries?
Egypt has applied to join the BRICS countries. Russian Ambassador to Cairo, Georgi Borisenko, recently announced this matter to TASS. The diplomat stated that Egypt made this decision because the organization is currently engaged in a groundbreaking work of maximizing trade towards non US dollar settlement methods.
Borisenko stated that Egypt is very eager to develop trade and other types of economic cooperation with Russia. The ambassador said, "We are currently developing a new mutual settlement mechanism for these trade transactions." He added that Russia supports Cairo's accession to the BRICS countries.
At present, the members of the organization include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. However, recently more and more countries are hoping to join this organization. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riyabkov pointed out in March that the number of applicants is increasing every month. At that time, there were already 16 countries queuing up.
Venezuela is also among them. President Maduro said that the BRICS countries, composed of five powerful nations, are becoming a big magnet that attracts countries calling for another world. He said that if someone proposed that Venezuela join the BRICS countries, Venezuela would agree.
Brazilian President Lula said he hopes to create a unified currency for the BRICS countries, which will help countries break free from dependence on the US dollar. South Africa is the host country of this year's BRICS summit, and its foreign minister, Nalandi Pandor, revealed that the issue of a unified currency will become a topic of discussion at the BRICS summit in August 2023.
Experts believe that Egypt's accession to the BRICS is beneficial for both itself and the BRICS countries. "The BRICS countries are now the mouthpiece of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. If Egypt is added to this list, we will hear the opinions of the Arab world. Working with Cairo will make the organization's coverage wider and more comprehensive," said Timothy Boldachev, project director of the Valdai International Debate Club
He said, "The difficulty now is that the criteria for joining the organization are not yet clear. The BRICS countries are completely different from the 'Group of Seven', which has become a mechanism for dialogue among allies. The eligibility of BRICS countries does not impose any restrictions on member countries' diplomatic sovereignty. In this context, there may be questions about how to integrate new positions into the common voice of the organization. I believe that Egypt's accession to the BRICS countries does not have any economic barriers. Finance has never been a decisive factor in whether or not it can join the organization. More importantly, it is important to make a non Western power heard."
Kyril Semyonov, an expert at the Russian Council on International Affairs, said, "Egypt's decision proves the rise of the status of the BRICS countries. The organization has begun to be seen as a strong actor in international politics, which can be used to clearly express its views on the current world situation. It is worth mentioning that before this, Algeria and Saudi Arabia have also expressed similar wishes."
"After the start of the special military operation, the geopolitical landscape began to change. Many major powers saw that once the principles of law supremacy and free market advocated by Western countries conflicted with their interests, they would abandon these principles. Therefore, it is necessary to find alternative partners. This is why the Middle East has begun to focus on the BRICS countries. This will make the organization's future position on global issues more comprehensive, as it will also reflect the opinions of the Arab world."
This expert on Eastern issues pointed out, "For Egypt, joining the BRICS countries will strengthen its diversified foreign policy. This is also beneficial for us. Cairo not only hopes to develop trade relations with Western countries, but also hopes to strengthen trade exchanges with other important participants in the international market. This desire must be encouraged and supported in various ways."
"Egypt is a regional power with enormous prestige, economic and social potential. Its accession to the BRICS will once again prove the increasing importance of this cooperation mechanism," Xie Mianov concluded
