BANGKOK, April 22. Thailand sees BRICS as an important interstate association, the expansion of which will lead to changes to the world geopolitics and economy, Thai political scientist Jiraporn Ruampongpattana has told TASS.

"The expansion of the BRICS group will lead to changes in geopolitics and economy, as the further division of the world into two poles will continue. The influence of this group could make it problematic for some countries, closely aligned with the West, to build further relations with it. Thailand's policy usually promotes diversified regional and international cooperation. BRICS is considered as an important group for Thailand, especially in terms of economic ties, free market trade and regional trade cooperation. Currently, BRICS plays an important role in Thailand's trade balance, with its member-countries accounting for 22.8% of Thailand's total trade, which is comparable to that with the Group of Seven countries, whose share is approximately 26-27%. Thailand applied for BRICS membership in early 2023 and is waiting for its bid to be considered," she said.

"The significance of the BRICS group is that it includes major powers such as China and Russia, as well as several influential countries located on different continents, such as South Africa and Brazil. This seems to promote cooperation between countries regardless of the West’s attitude to it. This group represents a diverse and influential voice of countries with booming economies whose cooperation minimizes the effects of Western sanctions. It can be said that the BRICS group is part of the struggle against the hegemony of Western countries. Iran's accession may reflect the growing anti-Western sentiment within the association," the expert added.

Russia took over the BRICS presidency on January 1. Currently, the association includes ten states. The BRICS group has seen two waves of expansion since its establishment in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the original membership, which included Brazil, Russia, India and China. In August 2023, six new members, including Argentina, were invited to join the association at once, but it declined to do so at the end of December. Five new members of the association - Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia - began full-fledged activities within BRICS on January 1, 2024.

The BRICS summit in Kazan in October will be the main event of Russia's presidency.