Ghana will seek to join BRICS as a Partner Country, not as a full member, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, October 10, Mr Ablakwa said Ghana already had strong relationships with the countries in the group and would be aligning itself with “natural allies” in what is arguably the world’s largest trading bloc.
He said the decision was guided by Ghana’s national interest, as required under Article 40 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
BRICS currently comprises 11 major emerging markets and developing countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Ablakwa said the group would offer Ghana an important forum for consultation and cooperation on contemporary issues with global and regional significance.
The minister also rejected concerns that Ghana’s application could damage its relationships with traditional partners.
He said the move instead reflected Ghana’s long-standing policy of non-alignment, which had allowed President Kwame Nkrumah to work with countries on opposing sides of the Cold War.
At the height of the conflict, Ghana secured support from the United States to build the Akosombo Dam, while also obtaining assistance from the then Soviet Union to launch Africa’s pioneering atomic energy programme, Mr Ablakwa said.
He added that Ghana had engaged with European Union member states before the application was announced and had clearly explained the reasoning behind its decision.
According to Mr Ablakwa, Ghana was entitled to diversify its strategic development options.
How BRICS has expanded
BRIC was formalised at the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2006.
The group held its inaugural summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. It became BRICS in 2010 after South Africa was admitted.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became full members from January 2024, while Indonesia joined in January 2025.
Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS Partner Countries in 2025.
If its application is successful, Ghana will join that group of Partner Countries rather than become a full BRICS member.
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