JOHANNESBURG: The BRICS group of nations has decided to invite six countries - Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - to become new members of the bloc, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

The debate over expanding the BRICS bloc, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has topped the agenda at a three-day summit in Johannesburg ending on Thursday.

BRICS leaders meet in South Africa as bloc weighs expansion

While all BRICS members have publicly expressed support for growing the bloc, there were divisions among the leaders over how much and how quickly.