Club interests: why should Belarus become a full member of BRICS
Russia will facilitate Belarus' involvement in BRICS cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. The National Assembly of the Republic confirmed that active work is underway to establish relations between Minsk and the members of the association at the parliamentary level. It is possible that the issue of the country joining the group as a full member will be discussed at the next meetings of the Union Parliament of Russia and Belarus. About why countries strive to ensure the full inclusion of the republic in the BRICS — in the material of Izvestia.
Belarus is a BRICS partner state
Belarus officially became a BRICS partner state in January 2025, and Russia intends to further involve Minsk in cooperation in the association, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at the plenary session of the XVI BRICS summit
— We are confident that the involvement of the Union of Belarus in the work of the association in a new capacity will contribute to the common cause of forming a more just, equitable and comprehensive multipolar architecture of international cooperation, the foreign ministry said.
The Ministry highly appreciated the active participation of Belarusian colleagues in a significant number of events during the year of the Russian BRICS presidency in 2024, including the personal contribution of President Alexander Lukashenko to the discussion in the format BRICS Plus/Outreach at the Kazan summit.
Recall that on October 24, 2024, at interview with Izvestia in Kazan, the Belarusian leader called BRICS a welcome organization with which the republic will work and contribute to solving common issues. On the same day, at a meeting in the BRICS Plus/outreach format, Lukashenko expressed "full readiness for full membership" in the organization. At the same time, the President of Russia expressed confidence that Belarus would contribute to the work of the association. Vladimir Putin noted that the country demonstrates good pace and quality of development in the socio-economic sphere.
The numbers speak for themselves. So, in 2024, the GDP of Belarus increased by 4%. At the same time, inflation was 5.2%, while the task was only to keep it at 6%. According to the results of 11 months, Belarusian exports reached $45 billion, showing an increase of 3.8% compared to the same period in 2023. The positive dynamics is reflected in the trade turnover between the Russian Federation and Belarus. If in 2022 it exceeded $43 billion, then by the end of 2023 it was already $53 billion. The 2024 figure, as Dmitry Mezentsev, State Secretary of the Union State, previously told Izvestia, could amount to $60 billion.
Why Belarus benefits from BRICS membership
Belarus' full membership in the BRICS, especially considering its economic performance, meets national interests, Alexander Shpakovsky, a deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and a member of the International Affairs Commission, confirmed to Izvestia.
— The country's participation in various international formats increases the country's weight in the international arena and creates conditions for promoting its interests in politics and economics. The economic aspect is especially important, since Belarus is an industrial export—oriented country, and we must sell more than 70% of our products on foreign markets. Access to the BRICS platform will enable bilateral and multilateral negotiations with states that are already members or partners of the group," he added.
BRICS significantly expanded in 2024. On January 1, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and Indonesia became a full member of the association on January 6, 2025. In addition, after the Kazan summit, a new category of partners appeared, which now include, along with Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
Joint photographing of the heads of delegations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member States
At the same time, BRICS is not the first integration association in which Belarus is a member. In 2024, the republic became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The country's membership in the EAEU and the CIS is no less significant.
Belarus' membership in the BRICS is being discussed in the country's parliament
If we talk about the prospects of Belarus' full membership in the BRICS, the deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic will do everything in their power to join the country. Alexander Shpakovsky told Izvestia.
— The task of joining the BRICS community has been set for the Belarusian diplomacy, and it will be strictly implemented. As for the role of the House of Representatives in this matter, it will require the ratification of a certain system of international treaties and the implementation of their norms into Belarusian legislation. As a strategic goal, membership in BRICS remains a priority for the republic. But BRICS membership depends not only on Belarus, but also on the member states of the organization authorized to make decisions," he pointed out.
Minsk's cooperation with the BRICS members is actively underway at the parliamentary level, Oleg Gaidukevich, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, deputy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, who will compete for the post of head of the country on January 26, confirmed to Izvestia.
— Friendship groups have been established in the Parliament of the republic, their members are establishing relations with parliamentarians of the BRICS member countries. This is one of the priorities. If the relations between the parliaments are good, it will be easier to build relationships throughout the organization. The issue of cooperation between the two countries in BRICS is being discussed and will be discussed through the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State," the politician said.
By the way, Gaidukevich noted the large number of observers from the BRICS countries who have registered for the upcoming elections. At the same time, he did not rule out that the issue of Belarus joining the union as a full member would be discussed at the next meetings of the union parliament.
— I am ready to raise this issue and discuss it. This is a natural topic for discussion. Cooperation with the BRICS countries will help strengthen the sovereign economies of our countries," he said.
Belarus is a strategic partner of Russia
In May 2024, during an official visit to Belarus, Vladimir Putin called the republic his closest neighbor, reliable ally and truly strategic partner. The latter confirms that the protection of Belarus has become an important element in the updated nuclear doctrine of the Russian Federation. From now on, Moscow considers the creation of a threat to Belarus as a threat to Russia itself. The Republic has already deployed Russian tactical nuclear weapons on its territory. It is also planned to deploy the latest Russian Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus in the second half of 2025.
Russia is interested in Belarus also becoming a member of the BRICS, Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, explained to Izvestia.
— This would be a good counterbalance to the old traditions of the dictate of the unipolar world, which have been imposed for a long time by Western countries and structures, he concluded.
Considering that the countries are united not only by military, but also by close economic cooperation, the republic's accession to the BRICS will benefit both Belarus and Russia, said Vladimir Shapovalov, director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State University.
— BRICS has great potential for the development of integration processes and provides additional advantages. Unlike the SCO, the CIS and the EAEU, which have a high degree of formalization, the BRICS remains an informal organization. This provides an opportunity to interact with a wide range of the largest countries in the world majority. In this sense, status — whether it is a partner state or a full member - does not matter much. These statuses are also not formalized, and the main thing is the country's very participation in the organization's activities," the Izvestia interlocutor stated.
Anyway, the Russian Foreign Ministry notes the steadily increasing interest of the world majority in building a systematic interaction with the BRICS.
