The BRICS will retain its name in the future after the expansion, because this is a recognizable brand and ‘trademark,’ the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Russia’s sherpa in the BRICS, Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview for the first issue of TASS’ "BRICS Bulletin."
"It is necessary to make this clear. The leaders have reached a single understanding that, despite the expansion, which took place on January 1, the association will retain its name, even in its expanded membership. Full stop. Not ‘BRICS+,’ just BRICS. It is a brand," Ryabkov said.
The BRICS group initially included Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the association in 2011. In 2024, new members Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia formally joined BRICS.
