BRICS, WHICH seeks to promote cooperation amongst Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is expanding its ambit. The recently held summit in Johannesburg (Aug 22-24) invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join BRICS.
Three questions are dominating the discourse on this development: will an expanded BRICS enable the Global South to counter-balance the Western-dominated world of politics, trade and finance? How will India reconcile its presence in BRICS with its strategic partnership with the US? And, what does BRICS Plus mean for Pakistan?