JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- BRICS leaders agreed on Thursday to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to join the group.

The six countries' membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit.

"We value the interests of other countries in building the partnership of BRICS," said Ramaphosa.

Through the summit, BRICS has begun a new chapter in its efforts to bring about a world that is fair, inclusive and prosperous, he added.

Speaking at the press conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the BRICS expansion historic and a new starting point for BRICS cooperation.

The expansion reflects the resolution of the BRICS countries to unite and cooperate with other developing countries, meets the expectations of the international community, and serves the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries, Xi stressed.

He added that the expansion will also inject fresh vitality into the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and further strengthen the forces for world peace and development.

Calling it "a great moment for Ethiopia" as BRICS leaders endorsed the country's entry into BRICS, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement that "Ethiopia stands ready to cooperate with all for an inclusive and prosperous global order."

On social media X, formerly known as Twitter, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that his country "respect (s) the vision of the BRICS leadership and appreciate (s) the inclusion of the UAE as a member to this important group."

In a statement, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi pledged to work with other BRICS countries to "raise the voice of the Global South with regard to the various issues and development challenges we encounter in order to promote the developing countries' rights and interests."

"With more members, there could be more ideas and resources for the group," said Joao Pedro Rosario Yabala, media delegate at the BRICS Summit. "Right now we are experiencing a historic moment."

BRICS leaders met here from Aug. 22 to 24 to discuss issues including deepening BRICS cooperation and the group's expansion.

Many emerging markets and developing nations are considering joining BRICS, and more than 20 countries have filed applications, said Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Li Kexin here at a briefing.

It has demonstrated BRICS's attraction and appeal, as well as the enthusiasm and willingness of emerging markets and developing countries to collaborate, Li added.

Under the theme of "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism," this year's summit was also focused on promoting the common interests of the Global South.

In their interviews with Xinhua, African officials, experts and reporters said that BRICS's championing for developing countries' interests has sparked the interest of Global South countries in joining the group.

"We believe that by bringing in new members, (it) will further strengthen the cooperation amongst ourselves," South Africa's BRICS Sherpa Anil Sooklal told Xinhua.

"More importantly, it further strengthens cooperation among countries of the Global South in addressing our common challenges and common issues that confront (us)," said Sooklal.

"With its economic, financial and technological capabilities, as well as a clear future vision, BRICS has the strength and ability to lead the world towards a wide development process and make the global economic system more just and equitable," said Abdel-Sattar Eshrah, secretary-general of the Cairo-based Egyptian-Chinese Business Council.

Global South countries want to join BRICS because the group advocates "win-win cooperation and mutual respect with other countries of the world," he said.

For Katja Hamilton, finance and healthcare editor at Africa's premier B2B news site Bizcommunity, BRICS is expected to create new prospects for the African continent's growth.

This year's BRICS summit and the group's expansion demonstrate the BRICS mechanism's vitality and its attraction to emerging nations and the Global South, she said. Enditem

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