BRICS, the Global South-led forum for economic cooperation, continues to grow in influence, as its seeks to de-dollarize and transform the international monetary and financial system.
After admitting four new members in 2024, BRICS officially welcomes nine new nations as partner countries on January 1, 2025. They are:
- Belarus
- Bolivia
- Cuba
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Malaysia
- Thailand
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
With its nine members and nine partners, BRICS now makes up roughly half of the global population and more than 41% of world GDP (PPP).
The group is an economic powerhouse, including top producers of key commodities like oil, gas, grains, meat, and minerals.
At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia in October 2024, 13 countries were invited to become BRICS partners, meaning they are on the path to full membership in the near future.
Nine of these 13 nations accepted the invitation. The…