More than 40 nations are expressing keen interest in joining BRICS, South Africa's top diplomat responsible for relations with the bloc has said.

Speaking at a press conference, a month ahead of the 15th BRICS summit due to be held in Johannesburg, Anil Sooklal from the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation revealed that the group has received significant interest regarding potential expansion.

According to Sooklal, 22 countries had submitted formal requests to join BRICS, and an equal number of countries have informally expressed interest in becoming members. These interested parties include significant countries in the global South, including Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon and Kazakhstan.

The forthcoming BRICS summit will see discussions around potential expansion, with the aim to counterbalance the perceived dominance of US-led Western nations in global affairs.

Sooklal’s announcement that BRICS is growing more attractive to countries around the world comes at a difficult time for the bloc, which is attempting to retain cosy relationships with the West while maintaining an alliance with Russia.

The 2023 BRICS Summit, scheduled for 22-24 August, will not have Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance. If Putin had chosen to attend, South Africa would have faced a delicate decision of either arresting him, as mandated by its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), or ignoring its obligations. In March 2023, the ICC indicted Putin for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. The Rome Statute obliges all 123 ICC member states to detain and transfer Putin if he enters their territory, including South Africa.

To avoid potential diplomatic tensions, Putin opted not to attend, and instead, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Russia at the summit.