Belarus is seeking to join BRICS.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the country submitted its application to join the BRICS bloc, which includes Russia and China, in May.

"This decision is a completely logical step in the context of Belarus's efforts to expand multilateral cooperation with traditional partners and friendly countries," the Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on July 25, citing information from the Foreign Ministry , confirming that President Alexander Lukashenko had submitted an application to join the BRICS member countries in May.

BRICS is a bloc of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. South Africa currently holds the chairmanship and is scheduled to host the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg from August 22-24.

According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, 25 countries have applied to join BRICS. "The list is constantly growing. This is not surprising," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks in Minsk on June 27. Photo: AFP

BRICS accounts for over 40% of the world's population and 30% of global GDP. "Based on objective facts, we believe that the importance and influence of BRICS are increasing in the world. Therefore, Belarus is not the only country wishing to become a member of the bloc," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated.

BRICS is actively discussing whether to establish membership criteria or create a forum for cooperation with the bloc's partner countries. The foreign ministers of the member states are expected to present proposals on this matter at the summit in August.

"We look forward to further developing cooperation with BRICS in various forms," ​​the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.

Belarus borders NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Belarus has close ties with Russia and has previously allowed Russia to use its territory to launch attacks on Ukraine. President Lukashenko has also recently been praised for his role in intervening in the Wagner uprising in Russia in June.

Thanh Tam (According to BelTA, Reuters )

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