Prospects for BRICS expansion: problematic aspects and forecasts

The article is devoted to the functioning and development of the interstate association of the most dynamically developing countries - BRICS, which is strengthening its position in the international community, gradually transforming due to the inclusion of new participants in BRICS+. The purpose of the study is to consider and evaluate various scenarios for the expansion of the BRICS format and the gradual transformation of this association into one of the strongest "players" in the international arena. The research involved an interdisciplinary approach combining the political science study of institutions and foreign policy strategies.; an international legal assessment of the forms of cooperation within the framework of BRICS; an economic analysis of international integration processes; as well as a civilizational approach that reveals the value and cultural foundations of interaction between the participants of this interstate association. Methods such as modeling and analogy were also used, with the help of which the authors analyzed and compared the main vectors of expansion of the BRICS format, and considered various scenarios for its expansion. As a result of the research, the authors of the article believe that the expansion of the BRICS, due to various geopolitical and geostrategic interests and emerging political differences among the participating states, may face difficulties in making common decisions on the international agenda. It is concluded that the most optimal is a qualitative rather than quantitative expansion of the BRICS+ format, which should focus on reviewing and developing criteria for obtaining membership status of this interstate association, working out and consolidating the rules of their interaction. Theoretical significance of the study lies in deepening the interdisciplinary scientific debate on the nature and development trajectories of modern international institutions, as well as in developing the conceptual framework for analyzing BRICS+ as a complex phenomenon that integrates economic, political, legal, and civilizational dimensions. Practical significance of the work consists in developing specific recommendations for the political elites and diplomatic agencies of the member states, aimed at optimizing expansion procedures, strengthening the institutional structure, and enhancing the effectiveness of interaction within BRICS+ in the context of increasing geopolitical instability.