Dhaka has formally applied to join the union
Bangladesh has officially applied for membership of BRICS. The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reports that the request was made following a meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Geneva last week.
It is noted that the South African leader supported the Bangladesh prime minister's decision. As of today, Bangladesh is a member of the Friends of BRICS. The BRICS+ foreign ministers met in Cape Town in early June. During the event, representatives of the South Asian country declared Bangladesh's readiness to become part of the economic bloc.
On the eve, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the long queue of countries wishing to become members of the BRICS indicates the increasing role of these associations. The foreign minister noted that Russia intends to continue "building up cooperation within the framework of such new type multilateral associations as the SCO and BRICS."
Currently the BRICS grouping includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have expressed their intention to join BRICS.
At last week's SPIEF 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia would continue to develop trade in national currencies with other countries, with the nearest neighbours and with the BRICS and SCO as priorities.
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