BRICS ministers open to enlargement as Putin looms large

 
INA-sources
 
Top diplomats from BRICS countries said the group was open to welcome new members, during talks in South Africa on Thursday, as the bloc seeks a larger voice in the international arena.
 
Foreign ministers from the five-nation grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa called for a "rebalancing" of the global order, as they met in Cape Town for a two-day conference overshadowed by the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
 
"Our gathering must send out a strong message that the world is multipolar, that it is rebalancing and that old ways cannot address new situations," India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during opening remarks.
 
"We are a symbol of change and must act accordingly."
 
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has largely isolated Moscow on the international stage, pushing it to seek closer ties with China and others.
 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said "more than a dozen" countries, reportedly including Saudi Arabia, have expressed interest in joining BRICS and the group was currently shaping its approach.
 
The issue was discussed with Saudi Arabia's top diplomat, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who was in Cape Town, Lavrov said.
 
China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu sounded a more conciliatory note saying Beijing welcomed prospective applicants.
 
"We expect more countries to join our big family," Ma told a press conference.
 
The talks came ahead of a heads of state summit in August, which is proving problematic for host South Africa, due to the possible attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
 
Putin is the target of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant over accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children.
 
A member of the ICC, Pretoria, which has close diplomatic ties with Moscow, would be expected to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country.
 
On Thursday, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor reiterated that Putin, like all other leaders, has been invited, adding the government was looking at its "legal options".
 
Source: AFP