After the United Arab Emirates (UAE) received an invitation to join the BRICS grouping, President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE on Thursday (August 24) expressed his gratitude for the "vision of the BRICS leadership". He conveyed his country's anticipation of collaborative efforts with BRICS to foster mutual benefits.
Taking to X, previously known as Twitter, President Al Nahyan stated, "We respect the vision of the BRICS leadership and appreciate the inclusion of the UAE as a member to this important group. We look forward to a continued commitment of cooperation for the prosperity, dignity, and benefit of all nations and people around the world."
This response came shortly after the BRICS consortium announced the incorporation of six new members – Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The announcement was made on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the new additions to the bloc. In a message posted on X, PM Modi wrote, "On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of BRICS, we have taken the decision to expand this forum. India has always fully supported this expansion. Such an expansion will make BRICS stronger and more effective. In that spirit, India welcomes Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE into the BRICS family".
The new members will officially join the group on January 1, 2024.
The expansion received endorsements from the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). This marks the first expansion of the group since 2010 when South Africa was admitted. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed that the inclusion of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE forms the initial phase of the expansion.
This extension solidifies BRICS' representation of six out of the world's nine largest oil producers. President Ramaphosa announced this development in the Johannesburg Declaration of the 15th BRICS Summit. During his opening statement, he shared this announcement and invited other BRICS leaders to share their statements.
In a separate context, UAE leaders celebrated India's successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum congratulated PM Modi Modi and India's scientists. Sheikh Zayed conveyed in a tweet, "The successful lunar landing of India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft represents a significant leap for collective scientific progress. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi and the people of India for this historic achievement in service of humankind."