MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Russia acknowledges the attention North Korea is directing toward BRICS activities, Deputy Foreign Minister and BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov said after the association's summit in Kazan.

"Regarding [North Korea's] application to BRICS, I can say that we are in a rather dynamic process. We observe the attention our friends in Pyongyang are paying to the activities of this association," Ryabkov stated.

He also highlighted the participation of North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in the first BRICS Women’s Forum, which took place during the fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg. "We proceed from the fact that our colleagues in Pyongyang consider BRICS and study this phenomenon on the international scene," the deputy foreign minister concluded.

The 16th BRICS Summit, which has become a key event of Russia's chairmanship in the association, was held in Kazan on October 22-24. On the second day of the event, its participants adopted the Kazan Declaration, focusing on the group’s development, global issues and the need to resolve regional crises, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The BRICS group was established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia joined the association. The Kazan Summit was the first time they participated as full members.