MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Nearly 20 countries want to join BRICS and their number continue to grow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Thursday.

"The list of candidates for joining the association continues to increase. The number of states interested in joining this association is nearing twenty. It reflects BRICS’ growing and already considerable role in the international arena as an association of countries with similar positions. I would like to stress it," he said.