Bangladesh has submitted an application to formally join the BRICS alliance, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Bangladesh to welcome if BRICS officially invites to join
After a meeting held in Geneva last Wednesday between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, it was revealed that the request to join the BRICS coalition was formally proposed. A reliable source disclosed that President Ramaphosa responded favorably to the matter during the discussion with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In relation to this matter, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has stated that a written expression of interest has been forwarded to the present chair of BRICS, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen confirmed by responding: “Yes, we have expressed our interest and applied to join the alliance.”
Foreign Minister Momen has expressed that Bangladesh would wholeheartedly embrace an official invitation from BRICS to join the esteemed group of five member states.
“We will surely join once they invite us. We are yet to receive any formal letter (inviting us to join). BRICS leaders are thinking of taking some emerging economies – around eight new countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Bangladesh,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
Upcoming BRICS summit to include discussions about new membership
The forthcoming BRICS summit, set to occur in South Africa this August, is expected to feature deliberations regarding potential new members.
At present, Bangladesh holds the status of being a “Friend of BRICS” and is actively engaged in the Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held on Friday.
In 2015, the establishment of the New Development Bank by BRICS aimed to provide financial support to member states as well as other nations. Following diplomatic correspondence seeking membership, Bangladesh achieved the distinction of becoming the inaugural country to join the bank subsequent to its founding members.
The magnitude of global interest in the BRICS group, as stated by South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, is immense. During television interviews in early March, Minister Pandor disclosed that her desk contained a total of 12 letters from countries expressing their interest.
Among the countries mentioned were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, and Argentina, along with Mexico and Nigeria.
