CARACAS, August 1. /TASS/. Venezuela has formally applied to join the BRICS group and is expecting a positive decision on the matter, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.

"Venezuela has filed an application to join BRICS and we hope that this application will be approved," he stated on his regular television show, broadcast by the state-run Venezolana de Television TV channel. "We expect a positive response from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa for Venezuela to become a BRICS member sooner or later," Maduro noted.

"BRICS plays a leading role in building a new world, paving a dynamic way toward a multipolar world order," Maduro emphasized.

The five BRICS member states are expected to consider official membership applications from a number of countries at the group’s summit scheduled to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 22-24.