Algeria has made an open appeal to join BRICS – an economic bloc of developing countries that include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The name of the organization was formed out of the acronyms of the member countries. Hence, including Algeria would perhaps change the name.
The appeal for inclusion was publicly made by the president of the northern African country, Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He made the appeal during a live broadcast TV interview on Sunday, July 31.
Algeria’s president said the club was an “economic and political power” that permitted to “move away from the attraction of the two poles”.
The appeal for inclusion did not come as a surprise to many after the Algerian leader took part in a video conference between the BRICS members at the end of June.
“The BRICS interest us” as an alternative to traditional power centers, Tebboune said in a televised interview late Sunday. “They constitute an economic and political force.”
Critics claim that the group promotes Russia’s agenda and believe that Algeria’s interest in becoming a member is a result of its relationship with Russia.
You will recall that Algeria abstained from the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to pass a resolution in March demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine. Also, China, India, and South Africa, which are also members of BRICS, abstained.
Liking Russia’s decision to abstain from the UN resolution, reports claim that there is an underlying interest, especially since Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Algeria after the United Nations General Assembly meeting and announced that trade between his country and Algeria had reached $3 billion last year.
BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Founded on 16 June, 2009, the BRICS members are known for their significant influence on world affairs.
The current members are India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, and China’s President Xi Jinping – who hosted the 2022 event.
According to the members, the BRICS mechanism aims to promote peace, security, development, and cooperation. The theme for the 2022 meeting was “Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development,” and it was held on 23-24 June 2022.
Algeria is not the only country interested in joining BRICS; Iran and Argentina officially applied for membership in late June, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh touting the bloc as a “very creative mechanism with broad aspects.”
