Afghanistan keen to attend 2024 BRICS Summit

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has formally expressed its desire to join the BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Kazan in October 2024.

The application was submitted by Afghanistan's Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, in a letter addressed to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Azizi indicated that a high-level delegation from Afghanistan would attend, featuring notable figures such as Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister and head of the Taliban's political office.

BRICS is an informal group of states comprising the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa.

It was the Russian side that initiated the creation of BRICS.

In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the "BRIC" group. South Africa joined in 2010, making it "BRICS".

The group was designed to bring together the world's most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe.

Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were invited to become members with effect from 1 January 2024.

A Saudi Arabian government minister said in mid January it had not joined.

But South Africa's government since confirmed its membership status.