More countries are becoming members of the BRICS group because they don’t want to be dominated by any single world power, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has said.
“Everyone, who joined BRICS, supports this idea, the concept of forming a multipolar world,” Putin said in an interview with the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) network, extracts of which were released on Sunday.
The switch to multipolarity is occurring naturally as the potential of many countries, including China, continues to grow, he explained.
“No one wants to play second fiddle to some sovereign. Everyone wants equal relations,” the Russian leader said.
Nations “see that if they join BRICS – within the framework of expanding and strengthening this format, this kind of relationship between countries – we can achieve this goal faster through unified efforts,” Putin explained.
BRICS currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. But a decision was made during the August summit in Johannesburg that six more nations – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – would officially join the group from January 2024.
Putin spoke with CCTV ahead of his visit to China to attend the Belt and Road Forum on October 17 and 18.
The Belt and Road Initiative was first announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 with the aim of expanding infrastructure development and investment in Central Asia. Since then, more than 150 countries and organizations have joined the Beijing-led project.