NEW DELHI: The BRICS grouping on Thursday announced that six nations -- Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Argentina, the UAE and Saudi Arabia -- will be included as full time members.

South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa announced this at the BRICS summit.Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Argentina, the UAE, Saudi Arabia

The membership will be effective from January 1, 2024.

"We have consensus on the first phase of this BRICS expansion process," Ramaphosa told reporters in Johannesburg.

These six nations will join Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Speaking immediately after Ramaphosa's announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Johannesburg to attend the BRICS Summit, welcomed all six nations and vowed to work with the other nations to continue adding nations that express interest in joining.

"I take this opportunity to welcome these six nations to BRICS... and I congratulate the leaders and people of these nations. India has close ties, historic ties, with each of these countries and I believe we will work together for a new era of cooperation and prosperity," PM Modi said.

"On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of BRICS, we have taken the decision to expand this forum. India has always fully supported this expansion. Such an expansion will make BRICS stronger and more effective. In that spirit, India welcomes Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE into the BRICS family," he later said on X (earlier Twitter).