Twenty two nations apply for BRICS membership, says South Africa

Twenty two nations have formally applied to become members of the BRICS economic bloc, a South African diplomat said.

An equal number have also informally sought to join the organisation that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Anil Sooklal, the bloc’s ambassador from South Africa, said on Thursday.

Sooklal has previously said that countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran have formally asked to become BRICS members, while countries that expressed an interest in joining include Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain and Indonesia.