On 1 January 2024, the chairship of BRICS shifted from South Africa to Russia, with a full agenda in tow. BRICS, a multilateral forum of five nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – made history by accepting the applications of six other states – Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia to join it, a decision taken at its 15th summit in Johannesburg in August 2023. These need to be absorbed into the grouping