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Senior Russian diplomat gives kudos to Tunisia for interest in joining BRICS

BRICS is currently discussing how to formalize cooperation with interested nations without their becoming full-fledged members

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov is happy that Tunisia is interested in possibly joining the integration as BRICS is open to cooperation with all interested countries.

"The issue of BRICS expansion is relevant now, with more than 15 countries having already expressed interest in joining the organization in this or that form. I am glad that Tunisia also shows interest in it as you said," he told reporters on Thursday.

"BRICS is an integration open to cooperation with all interested countries. This is not a club that is closed to the rest of the world, somehow demonstrating its exclusivity; quite the contrary," the diplomat noted.

BRICS is currently discussing how to formalize cooperation with interested nations without their becoming full-fledged members, Ryabkov added. "These are all alternatives that are under consideration. I am confident that South Africa’s current chairmanship in the integration will be able to come up with quite serious proposals by the time the summit takes place at the end of July, and the countries who are interested in joining BRICS will be provided with a framework for making something workable out of the topic ," he explained.

Earlier, Spokesman for the July 25 party Mahmoud Ben Mabrouk said that the European Union, which is dragging its heels to help Tunisia, is pushing the country towards BRICS.

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