As Russia begins its BRICS chairmanship for 2024, comments from South Africa’s Minister Naledi Pandor suggest that Moscow has already received written interest from 34 countries that want to join the bloc. SAIIA’s Senior Researcher, Gustavo De Carvalho, says this year we should expect to see stronger attempts, at least from the Russian side, to increase the common positions of BRICS members in terms of international crises, in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.