SIX more countries are to join the Brics bloc of developing economies, the increasingly influential organisation announced today.

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Argentina are to be invited to become members of Brics, whose name is formed of the first letters of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the nations currently comprising the bloc, from next year.

The announcement was made at a Johannesburg summit of the bloc by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country chairs Brics at present.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said on Wednesday that Brics leaders had arrived at a consensus on the bloc’s enlargement and how to go about it.

Ms Pandor said: “We have reached an agreement on the issue of expansion. We have a document that we have approved that sets out guidelines and principles, processes for considering countries that want to become members of Brics.”

There has been speculation in the past week that Argentina had withdrawn its bid to join Brics, but President Alberto Fernandez confirmed today that his country would be accept its membership invitation.

This followed presidential primary elections on August 13 in which  Javier Milei, a far-right populist and neoliberal extremist, gained an unexpectedly high number of votes.

Mr Fernandez said: “Being part of the Brics means joining a bloc that currently represents 24 per cent of the global output,” adding that joining Brics would confirm Argentina’s commitment to integration.

“We are going to play a significant role in a shared destiny. We continue to strengthen our fruitful relationships with other countries.

“Argentina has been, is and will be an integrationist nation.”

Mr Fernandez added: “We want to seize this opportunity for the benefit of Argentinians and, especially, for those in greatest need.”

Brics currently represents around 40 per cent of the world’s population and its growing economic influence has reportedly attracted membership applications from another 17 nations: Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Three of the bloc’s leaders attending the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, joined Mr Ramaphosa for the announcement of the new-member invitations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to the summit after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest, instead taking part in the proceedings online.

His government was represented at the announcement by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.