The recent BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, marked a turning point in global geopolitics, emphasizing the bloc’s expanding influence and challenging the Western-dominated world order.

The BRICS Expansion

The summit showcased the forum’s continuous expansion. It was the first time that states like Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Egypt attended the summit as its full members. Their membership was announced at the 15th BRICS summit. The 16th summit in Kazan continued the process of expansion, as it added 13 new countries as ‘partners’. Although they are not yet full members, they are on the path. Out of these thirteen, 4 are from Southeast Asia. It includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Southeast Asia is also a region where the US, for the past few years, has been trying to establish its footprint. But the fact that BRICS has already opened its doors to these countries’ future membership means the US policy in the region to wean it away from the influence of China (and Russia) continues to be ineffective. Other nations added to the forum include Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Turkey, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

The pattern of expansion definitely shows that BRICS is seeking to maintain its global character. It has members from Asia, Africa, Central........

© New Eastern Outlook