South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele Photo: Chen Tao/GT

While some developed countries have expressed interest in joining the BRICS partnership, the BRICS is focusing on developing and emerging economies first to make sure cooperation is expanded, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele told the Global Times in a recent interview. 

Cwele made the remarks on Thursday when talking about the membership expansion process of the BRICS group, as a growing number of countries have expressed their willingness and interest to join the mechanism. 

There is no opening for applications, Cwele noted, adding that corresponding senior officials have been working hard on the matter since the beginning of 2023, aiming to present a related consensus document on the upcoming summit in August in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the leaders to consider. He added that BRICS already has experience in setting up criteria from the previous expansion of the New Development Bank (NDB), or BRICS bank. 

Earlier in June, foreign ministers from the BRICS countries met in Cape Town, South Africa where they exchanged views on major global and regional trends and issues, according to a joint statement of the BRICS foreign ministers.

When speaking on the growing wish from more economies to join the group, the ambassador highlighted that the benefits of being a BRICS member are being seen by other developing and emerging economies. 

For instance, Cwele stressed that trade between BRICS members has increased, which then translates into direct benefits to people in the form of job opportunities and economic growth. 

In 2021, the five BRICS countries accounted for about 25.24 percent of the world's economy and 17.9 percent of the world's total trade, data from China's Foreign Ministry showed. 

Cwele also emphasized BRICS having its own financial institution, the NDB, as an aspiration for developing economies to join the partnership. The NDB helps BRICS countries build the essential infrastructure with less punitive or restrictive conditions attached, he said. Meanwhile, BRICS has a contingency reserve mechanism to assist its members gain access to money in times of crisis. 

The NDB in April 2020 launched an emergency loan mechanism after the COVID-19 epidemic broke out. Some $10 billion in crisis-related assistance has been approved for member countries through the mechanism, with a total of $6 billion in emergency loans approved through a fast-track facility for China, India, South Africa and Brazil, according to media reports. 

Responding on whether France will potentially participate in this year's summit, Cwele noted that "we have not received any formal communication from President Emmanuel Macron or his government."

Cwele said that BRICS is open, adding that if the developed countries want to partner with the group and believe in these principles, he personally believes that there will be no objection.