India's forweign minister has said the BRICS group was founded to counter to the G7’s exclsuivity.
Speaking in a discussion at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy Ambassador Jean-David Levitt on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said BRICS was formed to establish a new platform for nations to assert their role as significant global players, reflecting the typical process of forming new organizations.
“There was another club, it was called the G7 and you wouldn't let anybody else into that club. So we said we'd go and form our own club," Jaishankar said. "So we decided, okay, you know, we are also good citizens of good standing who have a place in the global society and therefore, this is how typically clubs multiply.”
Jaishankar noted that BRICS, like many organisations, evolved beyond its initial scope and attracted interest from others over time.
He pointed out that unlike trade pacts defined by geographic area, shared history or strong economic ties, BRICS presents a unique model due to its diverse and unconventional basis.
Jaishankar explained that while BRICS brought together diverse nations like Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa, the common factor among them is their status as large, rising powers in the international arena.
Russia was already a significant player, but the collective aim of these countries was to enhance their influence and weight, he added.
He noted that there has been an increase in interest from other countries wanting to join the group in recent years.
“We took the decision to expand the BRICS last year in Johannesburg and we extended invitations to more countries which virtually doubled the number, We will be meeting soon in Kazan next month,” Jaishankar said.
The group is set to convene in Kazan next month and has also established the New Development Bank as part of its evolution, he pointed out.