BRICS Will Retain Its Name Despite Membership Expansion, Lavrov Says

In the context of expansion, BRICS members support the idea of keeping the group's name unchanged. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced this during a press conference following the summit held in the Republic of South Africa, as reported by RIA Novosti.

“Everyone agrees that the name should remain. It has already become a brand. None of the newly added countries have proposed anything different. I believe everyone understands that it is preferable to leave everything as it is. This will emphasize the continuity of all our work,” Lavrov stated.

It should be noted that as a result of the summit held in Johannesburg, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia have been officially invited to join BRICS. The new countries will become full members of BRICS starting January 1, 2024.

The BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg from August 22-24, with the leaders of China, India, Brazil, and South Africa in attendance. Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.