New Delhi, Nov 22: In a significant development, Pakistan has filed an application to join the BRICS grouping in 2024, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported Wednesday.

 

In an interview with the publication, Pakistan’s newly-appointed ambassador to Russia Muhammad Khalid Jamali said his country was counting on Russia’s assistance during the membership process. Russia has the presidency of the grouping in 2024.

 

 

“Pakistan would like to be part of this important organisation and we are in process of contacting member countries for extending support to Pakistan’s membership in general and Russian Federation in particular,” TASS quoted the ambassador as saying.

 

In response to the question about Pakistan's BRICS membership bid, the diplomat affirmed that the country has indeed submitted its application. He further clarified that Islamabad intends to become a member of the group during Russia's presidency in 2024.

 

In early October, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS aims to finalize a list of candidates for partner-state status before the upcoming summit scheduled for 2024 in Kazan, TASS reported.

 

 

 

During the most recent summit held in South Africa in October, BRICS made the decision to extend invitations to six additional countries to join their alliance. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have received invitations to become BRICS members, with their official membership set to commence on January 1, 2024.

 

As per the report, the official mentioned that under Russia's leadership in BRICS, there will be a particular focus on broadening the group's relationships, especially in Latin America, as part of an effort to increase the “circle of BRICS friends."

 

China is also pushing for other countries membership. "We should let more countries join the BRICS family to pool wisdom and efforts to make global governance more just and equitable," Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

 

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded after 13 years this August when it agreed to take in six nations as new members from 1 January, 2024. The decision was announced at the grouping’s three-day summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

PM Narendra Modi had said that these countries — Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates — would "give new energy and direction to the grouping". The bloc was first founded as an informal four-nation club in 2009, South Africa came on board a year later.