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List of BRICS partner states to be published in coming two weeks — Russian diplomat

After that, Brazil will take over the BRICS chairmanship in 2025

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The list of new BRICS partner states will be made public in the next two weeks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who serves as Moscow’s BRICS sherpa, said in an interview with the TASS Analytical Center.

"There are two weeks left before the end of Russia’s year (of BRICS chairmanship - TASS). This is the time we have to finalize the situation in coordination with our partners and announce the list of those with whom everything has been agreed upon," he noted, summarizing Moscow’s chairmanship of the group.

"We also need to pass the baton to the Brazilians; it will formally take place in Yekaterinburg, but in fact, it will happen after the partners are revealed. The Brazilians will start working right away, as soon as the Christmas holiday season is over," Ryabkov added.

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov announced on October 23 that a list of 13 countries that could potentially become BRICS partner states had been agreed on. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said on November 15 that Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia had become BRICS partners. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, in turn, told Izvestia that Vietnam had also expressed a wish to join BRICS as a partner state.

Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates became members of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on January 1, 2024. Saudi Arabia currently has the status of an invited country. Brazil will take over the BRICS chairmanship next year.

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