BRICS partnership expands: Nine nations confirm readiness to join

Russia has received confirmations from several countries about their readiness to become BRICS partners, presidential aide Yury Ushakov informed reporters on January 1.

“One of the key outcomes of the summit in Kazan was the creation of the BRICS partner countries category and the approval of a list comprising 13 states. Invitations were subsequently sent to these nations. As of today, confirmations to join as BRICS partner states have been received from Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan,” Ushakov stated, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Ushakov clarified that these nations will officially attain BRICS partner status starting January 1, 2025. He also expressed optimism about receiving responses from four additional countries that were invited.

Representatives of these partner states will participate in specific sessions at BRICS summits and foreign ministers' meetings. Ushakov emphasized the importance of involving these partners in meetings focused on security, parliamentary forums, and other high-level events.

On November 15, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin announced that Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia had officially joined as BRICS partners.

Kazakhstan received its invitation to become a BRICS partner during the organization's summit in Kazan. Along with Kazakhstan, 12 other nations were extended partnership invitations. Russian officials highlighted BRICS' role in promoting a more balanced and multipolar global order, citing Kazakhstan's dedication to maintaining regional stability in Central Eurasia through a constructive foreign policy.

Established in 2006, BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining later. Starting in 2024, the group will expand to include Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.

In August, Azerbaijan submitted an application to join BRICS. During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana on July 3, Azerbaijan and China adopted a joint declaration on strategic partnership, signaling Azerbaijan's interest in BRICS membership. China responded positively to this interest.

Sahiba Gafarova, Chairwoman of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament), reaffirmed this aspiration during her address at the X BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg on July 11, expressing Azerbaijan's intent to secure full BRICS membership.

Several other nations have also expressed interest in joining BRICS. These include Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

By Tamilla Hasanova