Russian Foreign Ministry confirms nine partner countries joining BRICS from January 1

Nine countries will join BRICS as partners from January 1, 2025. They are Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. This was reported in the Russian Foreign Ministry on December 27.

"From January 1, 2025, Belorussia, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, which confirmed their consent to acquire such status, will join BRICS as partner states," the Foreign Ministry's website specifies.

Four more countries have received invitations to join the category of partners. After receiving their responses, the Brazilian BRICS presidency will announce their new status, the ministry pointed out.

It added that Russia plans to work closely with partner states and maximize their involvement in cooperation within the framework of the association.

Southern Collective: Bolivia and Cuba to become BRICS partners from January 1

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the other states had also accepted the invitation

Earlier, on December 23, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that BRICS is open to like-minded people. He recalled that before the October summit in Kazan, 35 applications for joining the work of the association were received. More than 20 countries are currently interested in the dialog.

BRICS is an interstate association of countries. The last summit at the level of heads of state 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE).