Syria has formally submitted a request to join the BRICS group, according to Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to Russia.
The announcement was made during the “North Caucasus: New Geostrategic Opportunities” forum held in Russia on October 4-5.
Al-Jaafari emphasized Syria’s strong interest in becoming part of BRICS, confirming that an official written request for membership has already been sent to the organization.
This move aligns with a growing number of nations expressing interest in joining the influential bloc.
On September 28, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov mentioned that initial decisions regarding BRICS expansion would be taken at the upcoming summit in Kazan. Russia is currently preparing a list of countries for the first phase of the expansion process.
Other countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have also submitted their applications in recent months.
Turkey filed its request on September 4, Azerbaijan followed on August 20, and Malaysia expressed its intentions to join in July.
The next BRICS summit, scheduled to be held in Kazan from October 22 to 24, 2024, will focus on the potential admission of new members.
The BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, accounts for approximately 45% of the global population and 36% of the world’s GDP. This exceeds the 30% contribution of the G7 group.
Earlier this year, BRICS expanded by welcoming Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia into the alliance. The growing membership of BRICS reflects its increasing global influence and marks a significant shift in the balance of international power.
