Algeria, Uganda and Nigeria will join BRICS as partner countries, reflecting widespread recognition of Africa’s growing global role. In Latin America, Bolivia and Cuba have taken steps towards more cooperation with the group. The rapprochement between BRICS and ASEAN will be facilitated by the addition of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to the list of partners. This is likely to be just the beginning. More than 30 countries want to join the organization in one form or another. Australia should take note that its closest trading partner, Indonesia ,with a population of about 290million is about to join the trading block of BRICS+.
