Ghana eyes partner status as BRICS expands global influence under India's chairmanship
In Short
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced plans to formally seek partner status after their traditional diplomatic consultations this month.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
Sofia: Ghana’s proposed entry into BRICS-plus is expected to expand its economic prospects and deepen cooperation with countries across the Global South as the grouping seeks to expand its global influence under India’s chairmanship. Indonesia was the last country to join the bloc as a full member in January 2025, a report has highlighted.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced plans to formally seek partner status after their traditional diplomatic consultations this month.
“Seeking deeper engagement with other emerging powers, the Foreign Ministers acknowledged that joining BRICS+ would complement, rather than replace, its existing relationships with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and other traditional partners. Formally established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS was founded on the premise that international institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF were overly dominated by Western powers and had ceased to serve developing countries,” a report in Bulgaria-based 'Modern Diplomacy' detailed.
“South Africa joined in 2010 by invitation of China. The bloc has since expanded to include six new members: Ethiopia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates,” it noted.
Ten countries, including Nigeria, currently hold partner status, enabling them to attend summits without enjoying full voting rights. Ghana’s inclusion would make it the second West African nation after Nigeria to join the partner category, underscoring the economic opportunities and political credentials associated with the two countries, Modern Diplomacy mentioned.
According to the report, joining the BRICS-plus platform would mark a historic milestone for Ghana, which has established a prominent position in multilateral institutions such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations. Since January 2025, Ghana has also headed the Commonwealth Secretariat.
“Unlike South Africa, which acquired a full-fledged membership status in 2011, and Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda, which were taken into the ‘partner states’ category, Ghana has all the fundamental requirements to become part of the BRICS-plus alliance. It is necessary to understand the basic definition and meaning of BRICS-plus in the context of the geopolitically changing world,” the report stated.
“The BRICS alliance operates on the basis of non-interference. As a non-Western association, it stays open to mutual cooperation from countries with ‘like-minded’ political philosophy,” it added.
BRICS members are free to maintain bilateral relations with any country of their choice. The BRICS-plus strategic partnership has also made it clear that the grouping is not aimed at confrontation but at fostering cooperation to tackle global challenges while respecting every country’s right to determine its own future, the report noted.
