Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential geopolitical implications of the expansion of BRICS.

The Foreign Secretary made a speech on 9 January at the FCDO regarding the future of UK foreign policy, where he underlined that we are facing an increasingly volatile world. It remains important for us to understand geopolitical shifts, and ensure the UK remains able to navigate international geopolitics to deliver its domestic missions.

Forging close partnerships with emerging powers and the Global South will be critical to progressing UK interests, including growth. The Foreign Secretary's speech made clear how the FCDO is taking this forward, including through showing respect, renewing partnerships, and new agreements, like those he recently launched with India, Indonesia, South Africa and Nigeria.