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Brazil is, according to the Reuters news agency, the main opponent of BRICS expansion among the participating countries.
The agency, citing sources from the Brazilian government, says that the claim is related to the reluctance to turn BRICS “into something else” and the focus on maintaining a cohesive group.
The position of the Brazilian government, writes Reuters, is that BRICS expansion should be gradual, ensuring regional balance, while the role of all current countries should be preserved. Brazil believes that other countries can participate in BRICS events without full membership.
Brazilian authorities are said to understand the need to step back at some stage and are not going to block BRICS expansion.
At the BRICS summit, which will be held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa will participate, Russia will be represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will participate in the summit via video conference.