Why Uganda, 8 other countries joined BRICS partners
CAPTION: President Yoweri Museveni, left, with his Russian counterpart Putti. (File photo).
By Our reporter
MOSCOW, RUSSIA | TASS | Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan will become BRICS partner states from January 1, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported, adding that four other countries have received invitations.
“From January 1, 2025, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan will become BRICS partner states. They have confirmed their readiness to acquire such status. Invitations to become partners have been sent to four other countries,” the ministry said.
According to its statement, Brazil’s BRICS chairmanship will announce the countries’ acquisition of the partner status as soon as it receives their confirmation. “We plan to establish full coordination with the partner states in order to involve them as much as possible in the cooperation within the association,” the ministry added.
The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011.
On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, became its full-fledged members. The 16th BRICS summit, which has become a key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, took place in Kazan on October 22-24. In addition to the leaders of the BRICS member countries, the summit was attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the heads of a number of non-BRICS member states, such as Turkey and Palestine.
What is BRICS?
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The group started in 2006, and Brazil, Russia, India and China convened for the first BRIC summit in 2009. South Africa joined a year later.
The aim of the alliance is to challenge the economic and political monopoly of the West. The group sets priorities and has discussions once every year during the summit, which members take turns hosting. The summit is the 16th held.
What are the benefits of joining BRICS?
“Trade in goods among BRICS economies has considerably outpaced trade between the BRICS and G7 nations, leading to greater intra-BRICS trade intensity,” notes a report from the Boston Consulting Group. Those interested in joining BRICS believe membership will lead to increased trade and investment.
Are BRICS countries already challenging the US-led world order?
US economist Richard Wolff weighs in on BRICS, the systemic problems of the United States economy, and the future of Israel. The American empire has peaked “and we are on the way down… and we try to hold on”, says Richard Wolff, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who notes that the BRICS coalition of economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is gaining an edge over the United States. Wolff tells host Steve Clemons that it’s “a very difficult experience for Americans” to realise that they lost wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. And despite unconditional support from the US, Israel will not be able to prevail in the long run. “Israel is a country of a few million people and is not going to control and run the Middle East … with or without the United States,” argues Wolff.
