Armenia holds no discussion on joining BRICS, says minister

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan has said that the Armenian authorities are not considering the issue of joining the intergovernmental organization BRICS.

Papoyan made the remarks in the country’s Parliament while talking to journalists, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

When asked whether Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed this topic with him after participating in the BRICS summit in Kazan, Papoyan answered negatively.

“Such issues were not discussed... It is not on the agenda,” he said.

The BRICS summit with the participation of the heads of state was held in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan (Russia), from 22 to 24 October and was also attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Notably, BRICS, an intergovernmental organisation formed in 2006, initially included Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa later became a member, and starting in 2024, the group will also admit Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.

Several other nations are vying for membership in BRICS, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

By Khagan Isayev