Russia Pushes BRICS+ Initiative to Expand Global Influence, Dozens of Countries Could Join
Moscow Unveils Plan to Develop BRICS+ as a New Multilateral Cooperation Platform, Facilitating Deeper Connections Between BRICS and Partner Countries in a Changing World
Russia is accelerating its push to expand the BRICS sphere of influence through a new initiative called BRICS+, which aims to encompass dozens of countries seeking alternative models of economic and political cooperation to the Western system. The information was announced by Senator Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council, in a recent statement in Moscow.
According to Kosachev, BRICS+ will not be a closed alliance, but an open platform, allowing countries with similar development orientations and independent foreign policies to directly access the existing BRICS ecosystem.
“This will not be an association reserved only for the current BRICS members, but will expand to include the maximum number of potential partners in the world,” Kosachev stressed.
The BRICS alliance currently includes 10 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. However, with the BRICS+ initiative, the scope of cooperation could expand to dozens of other countries from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East to Asia.
Notably, China, Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, South Africa and Brazil – the country currently holding the rotating BRICS presidency – have all expressed strong support for the idea. Meanwhile, a number of other countries are still considering their position and strategic interests in the new model.
“We do not impose any country’s participation or adherence to a single discipline. Participation will be based on common interests and strategic consensus,” Kosachev said.
The BRICS Parliamentary Forum, scheduled for June, will be the official venue for detailed discussions on the BRICS+ model with the participation of representatives from member states and partners. The goal is to include the initiative in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s action program at this year’s autumn session.
The BRICS+ initiative is also expected to establish a new level of cooperation, including the ability to coordinate financial, trade and economic development policies at a time when the global system is facing many uncertainties.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also recently stressed that the expansion initiative could be accompanied by the creation of a common payment system for non-BRICS countries, an important step towards moving away from dependence on the US dollar and Western payment systems.
In the context of global geopolitical restructuring, BRICS's proactive expansion through BRICS+ is considered a strategic step to affirm the role of emerging economies in the emerging multipolar world order.