BRICS member states agreed at a summit in Johannesburg to the bloc's expansion, as the bloc seeks to strengthen its influence and limit the dominance of Western powers.
Calls to expand the group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, dominated the summit's agenda. China is seeking to expand the BRICS quickly amid a frantic rivalry with the United States, but India is wary of its rival's geopolitical intentions.
Some 24 countries have submitted formal applications to join the group, which currently represents 40 percent of the world's population and a quarter of the global economy.
Source (Al-Arabiya.net Website, Edited)
