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Over 20 countries want to join BRICS — diplomat

Many countries from all over the world signal their interest in rapprochement with BRICS all the way up to full-scale membership, Sergey Ryabkov said

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Over 20 states would like to join the BRICS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview for the International Affairs magazine.

The Deputy Foreign Minister pointed out the issue that arose before Russia "at full height ahead of the beginning of the Russian presidency in the association."

"I refer to the implementation of the leaders’ order to develop a category of so-called partner states. Many countries from all over the world signal their interest in rapprochement with BRICS all the way up to full-scale membership. This must be worked through in a constructive key," he added.

"There are quite a few nations that would like to join the BRICS, more than twenty. This is not counting the countries that have officially announced their readiness to join the association on January 1, 2024. I do not know any international structure or organization where the membership growth had taken place at such rate. There is currently no experience of operation of the expanded BRICS. These are the issues that must be resolved during Russia’s chairmanship period," the diplomat said.

Ryabkov also noted that an entire series of events is planned in addition to the BRICS Summit in Kazan, including ministerial meetings and the BRICS games.

"The Russian presidency intends to show Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg and many other things to the BRICS," he added.

During the August 22-24 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, the member states agreed to expand the organization’s membership by admitting Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia starting on January 1, 2024. A new list of potential member states will be prepared for the next summit.

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Foreign policy BRICS

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