Tunisian Minister of Economy: Tunisia Open to Joining BRICS Group

Tunisian Minister of Economy Samir Said, in response to a question about his country’s position on joining the “BRICS group”, said that Tunisia is open to all opportunities that contribute to the acceleration and development of the business climate and growth rates.

“Our natural space is the African, Arab and European space, given that two-thirds of our trade exchanges are in them,” Samir Saeed said in a statement to Radio Mosaique while chairing a regional forum to increase investment in the northern states which took place in Hammamet.

Open to BRICS, but Limited Interaction

He added: “We are open to the BRICS, but the volume of interaction with them is currently modest, as evidenced by the fact that the size of the trade balance with China is very negative,” noting that China is the territory of 70% of the group.

The Tunisian minister added: “We are in principle open to dialogue, and at the right moment we will enter into it seriously.”

Shift in Funding Strategy

In April 2023, Mahmoud Ben Mabrouk, spokesperson for the July 25 track, confirmed that Tunisia would not continue trying to get an International Monetary Fund loan, but would approach and join the BRICS group to obtain the necessary funding.

Ben Mabrouk stressed that his statements are not political analysis, but real data based on negotiations and contacts.

Expansion of BRICS Group

During the summit this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, the BRICS group announced the admission of six new countries, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and Argentina, on the condition that the membership of these countries comes into force early next year.

What is BRICS and How Was it Founded?

BRICS is an economic group that includes Russia, Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. Negotiations on its formation began in 2006, and the first summit took place in 2009.

At first, the group included Brazil, Russia, India, and China under the name “BRIC”, then in 2011 South Africa joined it and became “BRICS”.

Building an Alternative Economic System

The group is working to build a multipolar international political and economic system and break the US-led Western hegemony.

The economic side forms the basis of the group, and its members develop their common economic plans leading to the creation of an economic power capable of resisting the current Western power.

The BRICS countries make up a quarter of the land area, and their population is 40% of the world’s population, and they include emerging economies that compete with the economies of the West.

This group is currently chaired by South Africa, and next year its chairmanship will pass to Russia.

Source: RT+ “Mosaic”