ISLAMABAD, February 9. /TASS/. Pakistan's accession to the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) could facilitate the country’s rapprochement with the group, Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev said in an interview with TASS.

"Regarding BRICS, Russia welcomes Pakistan's interest in joining this organization, which is an important element of the emerging equitable, multipolar world order. The first practical step toward Pakistan's rapprochement with BRICS could be Islamabad's accession to the New Development Bank, a platform for financing infrastructure projects in developing countries," he noted. According to Khorev, Russian authorities see Pakistan's interest in cooperation through the NDB and are ready to support it.

The New Development Bank was established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in the BRICS countries and other developing countries. Its headquarters are located in Shanghai.

In November 2023, then-Pakistan Ambassador to Russia Muhammad Khalid Jamali announced that Pakistan had submitted an application to join BRICS. In September 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated that Russia supported Islamabad's decision.