The doors of the BRICS alliance are always open for like-minded countries, says Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, hinting at an expansion in 2026 at the 18th summit in India’s New Delhi. This comes at a time when speculations were rife about new countries planning to join the bloc.

“BRICS’ door remains open,” said Ryabkov, while talking about expansion in 2026 at the Sherpa’s meeting in New Delhi. When asked if the new members would be inducted this year, he declined to provide a timeline. “We could not and will not set any artificial timeframes or deadlines for such decisions. Countries that want to join the association know this,” he said.

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Diplomat Confirms BRICS Is Discussing Expansion in 2026

Ryabkov revealed that BRICS is already in the process of discussing expansion during the 2026 summit. The groundwork is being laid by the Sherpas in the meeting in New Delhi. The alliance is now an 11-member bloc, with 13 other members associated as ‘partner countries’. Around 45 countries are looking to join the alliance and be a part of decision-making.

The process of BRICS expansion is underway and will be talked about in the 2026 summit, he confirmed. “BRICS is now in a process of discussing ways of expanding and boosting the format of cooperation with partners. This is another way to meet the demand for closer ties with BRICS,” he said on the sidelines of the Sherpas meeting.

The alliance inducted six new countries in 2024, but only four accepted the invitation. Argentina outright rejected joining the group, and Saudi Arabia slowly backed out. The Kingdom wants to maintain cordial ties with the West due to the Vision 2030 program. Whether an expansion will happen during the 2026 BRICS summit in India, we will have to wait and watch.