Signal Report states 36 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS

Summary

This signal concerns alliance formation as a route to influence for smaller states. The report points to emerging groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the I2U2 group of India, Israel, the UAE and the US. It also cites the expansion of existing alliances such as BRICS and the G77. To date, it states, 36 countries have expressed an interest in joining BRICS. The inclusion of oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran could fundamentally change the group's internal dynamics and international behaviour. The signal suggests that new and enlarged alliances may give smaller states more geopolitical weight.