DM Monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is actively pursuing membership in the BRICS economic alliance and aims to join the group in the coming year, according to Muhammad Khalid Jamali, the country’s newly appointed Ambassador to Russia.
In an interview with TASS news agency on Wednesday, Ambassador Jamali mentioned that Pakistan has already applied for membership and is seeking Russia’s assistance in the admission process, especially since Russia will assume the chairmanship of BRICS in 2024.
“Pakistan would like to be part of this important organisation, and we are in the process of contacting member countries in general and the Russian Federation in particular for extending support to Pakistan’s membership,” stated Ambassador Jamali.
In September, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Relations about Pakistan’s efforts to gain full BRICS membership. He highlighted that joining BRICS aligns with Pakistan’s objectives of restructuring the international financial structure and reducing dependence on the dollar. The foreign ministry has initiated consultations with relevant stakeholders as part of this exploration, he added.
Addressing concerns about a potential veto from India, Minister Jilani downplayed the apprehensions, stating that any member resorting to such a veto would risk its own status within the group.
He emphasised that BRICS membership would provide Pakistan with representation at an important international forum and facilitate trade and economic relations with member countries.
BRICS, currently consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, may see an expansion in January with the inclusion of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Analysts estimate that the expanded BRICS+ is already economically larger than the G7. Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, according to 2023 chair South Africa.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated in October that BRICS plans to compile a list of candidates for the union’s partner-state status ahead of the 2024 summit in Kazan. During the Russian BRICS chairmanship, member states will focus on expanding the “circle of BRICS friends,” including countries in Latin America.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with the China Media Group, highlighted that the expansion of BRICS is based on the principle of global multipolarity. He emphasised that BRICS provides a platform for countries to form relations based on equality and avoid being on the sidelines and subject to the whims of a single sovereign.
Earlier, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani reiterated on Friday the government’s clear-cut stance that Pakistan was not part of any bloc politics, and stressed that the country wanted to have positive relations with all nations across the globe.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Relations regarding Pakistan’s efforts to gain full membership of BRICS, he said that Islamabad was actively exploring the possibility of joining the five nation international grouping.
