The Russian foreign minister has said the group now represents half of the world’s population and 40% of global GDP
The BRICS group has become a leading platform for aligning the interests of the global majority, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday in a video message to participants of the 2nd BRICS Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum.
With its current membership, Lavrov said, the organization now accounts for close to half of the planet’s population and around 40% of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity – surpassing the combined economic weight of the G7.
Given these figures, Lavrov argued, it is natural that BRICS continues to attract countries from the Global South and East, as many “seek equal and mutually beneficial partnerships for the sake of joint development.”
“We view BRICS as a focal point for coordinating the interests of the World Majority’s leading countries, a key pillar of a multipolar world, and an important mechanism for advancing genuinely multilateral cooperation,” Lavrov said.
He also emphasized that BRICS places particular focus on innovation and economic modernization, “sustainable finance, digitalization, and transport connectivity.” Within that context, Lavrov highlighted women’s entrepreneurship as a critical force for progress, not only within BRICS countries but globally.
“Women’s entrepreneurship is one of the key drivers of progress in these and other areas,” the Russian foreign minister said.
According to Lavrov, the creativity, determination, and leadership qualities demonstrated by female entrepreneurs continues to unlock opportunities. Their work, he said, opens up “new horizons for the development of our countries’ economies and social spheres.”
Lavrov also emphasized that the initiatives put forward at the forum will certainly be considered in the run-up to the BRICS summit scheduled for July 6–7 in Rio de Janeiro, and will “contribute to the collective efforts.”
BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. In 2024, the bloc extended its full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria and Uganda became partner states of BRICS in January 2025.
