Shifting Global Alliances: The Strategic Expansion of BRICS
来源：www.forbesafrica.com;发表于:2024-02-14;人气指数:324
Wednesday,
February 14, 2024
Shifting Global Alliances: The
Strategic Expansion of BRICS
By Yeshiel Panchia
The bloc’s recent expansion to include
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could
represent a complex and multifaceted shift in global power structures,
transcending simplistic views of it as merely a challenge to Western dominance.
In a significant development that could
reshape global alliances, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations
and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor announced the expansion of the BRICS bloc with
the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab
Emirates. This move follows the nations’ acceptance of invitations, extended at
last year’s Johannesburg summit.
“With respect to the BRICS
confirmations, five out of the six have confirmed,” Pandor stated in a news
conference in Pretoria, located in the country’s Gauteng province. This
expansion, however, will not include Argentina, who declined membership.
Gustavo de Carvalho, a Senior Researcher
at the South African Institute of International Affairs, emphasizes that while
this development is significant, it’s not merely a challenge to Western policy
but, more, a nuanced expression of an evolving multipolar world order.
“One of the mistakes that we can make
when we are assessing BRICS is looking into it through the lens of a kind of
anti-Western alliance,” de Carvalho says to FORBES AFRICA.
“These new countries are joining BRICS
as part of the process of diversifying foreign policy, of engaging with
partners that are really quite important to them,” he adds, citing the strong
economic and commercial ties that many of the new members already have with
existing members like Russia and China.
De Carvalho also notes that BRICS has
not primarily operated as a geopolitical bloc in certain matters.
The new members may signify a
diversification in the bloc’s approach to global economic and political issues,
reflecting a shift from a confrontational stance to a more collaborative and
multi-aligned strategy.
One area of potential future
significance is the economic implications, de Carvalho points out. The
inclusion of these countries could mean more than just strategic alliances; it
could herald increased economic integration and access to the US dollar by countries
like China and Russia. The expanded BRICS could create a more robust platform
for economic cooperation, potentially influencing the dominance of the US
dollar in global trade.
A noteworthy point at Wednesday’s press
conference was Argentina’s decision.
“Argentina has written to indicate that
they will not act on this successful application by the previous administration
to become full members of BRICS,” said Pandor.
The South American nation’s decline of
admission was accepted, having previously indicated its stance following the
ascension of, now President, Javier Milei in December, who campaigned, heavily,
on free-market policies and closer ties with the West.
“One of the things that was interesting
when Argentina declined is that their arguments, the official arguments at
least, was that they were declining. For now, it [is] a new administration.
They still needed to engage in such a discussion,” notes de Carvalho.
The expansion of BRICS should be viewed
in the context of a changing global landscape where power is increasingly
distributed. The inclusion of Middle Eastern and African nations signifies a
move towards a more inclusive and representative global order.
De Carvalho also highlights the role of
BRICS in global governance, suggesting the expansion is not just a counter to
Western influence but a move to include diverse perspectives from the Global
South in global dialogue.
It represents a shift, one that
transcends simplistic narratives of power blocks. With the inclusion of these
countries, BRICS is poised to potentially redefine its role on the world stage.
Forbes Africa
Source: www.forbesafrica.com