BRICS Alliance Gets Four New Members from South-East Asia

Four Southeast Asian nations—Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand—have officially joined as partner countries of BRICS, an emerging economies alliance seen as a counterbalance to Western influence. The announcement was made via the @BRICSInfo account on X (formerly Twitter) on October 24.

In total, 13 nations have been added to the BRICS partnership, including Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Turkey, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. It's important to note that these countries are not full members of BRICS, which was originally formed in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010, and this year saw the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as new full members.

Together, the member economies account for over US$28.5 trillion, approximately 28% of the global economy. The annual BRICS summit will take place in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24.

Mohamad Hasan, Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Minister, highlighted the enhanced trade opportunities that membership in BRICS brings, given the bloc's combined population of 3.2 billion. He also reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to advancing the Global South agenda and fostering collaboration, particularly during its upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.