Malaysian ambassador says Malaysia agrees to become a BRICS partner

Malaysia has responded to BRICS that it agrees to become a partner country of the association. This was announced by Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Cheong Lun Lai on December 8.

He noted that the country received an official letter of invitation back in mid-November.

"We responded to Russia, which is the BRICS chair, that we agree to become part of this association," Cheong Lun Lai told TASS.

As the diplomat pointed out, Malaysia believes that partnership with BRICS will allow it to increase the tourist flow to the country

Weighted Relationship: BRICS partners will receive this status from January 1

The Russian Foreign Ministry named another country that accepted the invitation to participate in the new format

Earlier, on December 4, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko confirmed to Izvestia that Vietnam also received an invitation to become a BRICS partner and accepted it. According to information circulated in the media, Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Turkey, Uganda and Uzbekistan also became partners.

Before that, on November 15, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand became BRICS partner countries. At the same time, the head of Colombia Luis Gilberto Murillo said in a conversation with Izvestia that Bogota was interested in the possibility of joining BRICS. He noted that the state is looking for "access to financing to create better conditions".

BRICS is an interstate association of countries. The last summit at the level of heads of its member states was held in Johannesburg in August 2023. Following its results, the BRICS members decided on a historic expansion. On January 1, 2024, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were joined by Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and the UAE.