Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations ignored Nigeria as they invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join.
The invitation is in line with a move aimed at growing the clout of a bloc that has pledged to champion the “Global South”.
Expansion could also pave the way for dozens of interested countries to seek admission to BRICS – currently Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – at a time when geopolitical polarisation is spurring efforts by Beijing and Moscow to forge it into a viable counterweight to the West.
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The new candidate members were announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is hosting a summit of BRICS leaders
“BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous,” he said in a tweet on Thursday.