Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that three dozen countries are ready to join BRICS, the intergovernmental organization initially founded by Russia, China, India, and Brazil.
In the formal address of Russia's chairmanship in BRICS, the president underlined that the group is attracting more support around the world from like-minded nations. Namely, Moscow's objective for this year's chairmanship will be "Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security," with plans to hold over 200 events around the country over the next twelve months.
Several new countries have been introduced into the bloc with the start of the new year, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
