Context: BRICS Meeting
China’s Foreign Minister will skip the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Delhi, as India hosts BRICS meetings under its Chairship.
BRICS Basics
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. It began as BRIC in 2009; South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS.
Expansion
- January 2024: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE joined BRICS.
- January 2025: Indonesia joined as a full member.
- Saudi Arabia: mentioned in some official BRICS lists as full member, but its final membership status has seen ambiguity in reporting. India’s BRICS 2026 site lists Saudi Arabia as full member from January 2024.
Important Declarations
- Johannesburg II Declaration (2023): approved BRICS expansion.
- Kazan Declaration (2024): adopted at the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia.
- Rio de Janeiro Declaration (2025): adopted at the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil; theme: “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”
India and BRICS 2026
India is hosting BRICS in 2026, including ministerial meetings and the annual summit.
