Malaysia has announced that it has submitted an application to Russia to join the BRICS intergovernmental organization.
According to a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s desire to join the BRICS organization was the main topic of discussion during Anwar’s meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Seri Perdana Complex. “Malaysia has sent a letter of application to join the (BRICS) organization to Russia as the BRICS chairman, besides expressing openness to participate as a member country or strategic partner,” Anwar said in the statement.
This announcement comes after Anwar confirmed Malaysia’s intention to join BRICS during his meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on June 18.
During the nearly hour-long meeting between Anwar and Lavrov, the two leaders also discussed strengthening Malaysia-Russia relations and expanding cooperation in various sectors, such as trade, investment, security, defense, higher education, science and technology, tourism, and culture.
BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined the bloc in 2010. The BRICS group has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE.
Russia and India promote digital initiatives within BRICS
In January 2024, Russia and India joined forces to promote digital economy initiatives as part of their ongoing efforts to expand cooperation within the BRICS alliance. According to Sergey Cheremin, Moscow government minister and chairman of Russia’s Business Council for Cooperation with India, the two countries share a common vision of building cutting-edge infrastructure and creating safe and comfortable urban environments.
Egypt joins BRICS-established NDB
In March 2024, Egypt officially became a new member of the New Development Bank (NDB) established by the BRICS countries.Â
The BRICS countries established NDB after an intergovernmental agreement was signed in July 2014 at the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil.
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