More than 30 countries have recently expressed interest in either joining or cooperating with the BRICS group, according to the Russian president.
He emphasizes that BRICS is by no means an “anti-Western association” but simply a “non-Western” one.
Yesterday, Putin met with journalists from the BRICS countries, where he noted that the group already comprises about 45% of the global population – while their trade turnover and share of the global economy is said to have steadily increased in recent years.
– Our group is expanding. The number of friends and like-minded people within the BRICS association has increased, and interest in the association’s activities is very high, he said.
According to Putin, BRICS is globally beneficial, not only for its own participants, and should not be considered a bloc that targets Western interests, state broadcaster RT reports.
– We are not building some bloc directed against someone’s interests. This is not such an organization. And in this sense, it has a universal character and, in my opinion, will have a beneficial effect on world affairs as a whole, including the world economy
– BRICS is not an anti-Western association. It’s simply non-Western, the President continued.
Whether to expand cooperation is something that needs to be evaluated by the permanent members of the group so that a “solid consensus” on the issue is reached. While it is not excluded that the group will grow in number, Putin said it is important that it remains multilateral and effective.
– By increasing the number of the organization’s members, we should not reduce the effectiveness of the whole structure to a minimum, he warned.