BRASILIA (Reuters): Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the BRICS countries will welcome more members who will be chosen according to their geopolitical importance and not the ideology of their governments.

At their summit in Johannesburg, the five BRICS countries decided to admit Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, a move aimed at increasing the clout of the bloc of leading emerging economies.

“What matters is not the person who governs but the importance of the country,” Lula told reporters before leaving South Africa. “We can’t deny the geopolitical importance of Iran and other countries that will join BRICS,” he added.