‘Not made any formal request to join BRICS,’ says Pakistan

Pakistan on Friday said the country has not made any formal request to join the BRICS grouping, after its recent summit concluded in Johannesburg on Thursday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the country will examine the latest developments and make a determination about its future engagement with BRICS, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan. “We have followed the BRICS related developments in Johannesburg. We have also noted its openness to inclusive multilateralism. Pakistan has said several times in the past that it is an ardent supporter of inclusive multilateralism,” Baloch said during a media briefing on Friday. “Pakistan has not made any formal request to join BRICS. We will examine the latest developments and make a determination about our future engagement with BRICS. Pakistan is an ardent supporter of multilateralism and as a member of several multilateral organizations it has always played an important role for global peace and development,” she added. She said that Pakistan is also an important developing country that has made many important contributions to promote peace, solidarity and cooperation among countries of the South. “We shall continue our efforts at the international fora for fostering the spirit of international cooperation and revitalization of inclusive multilateralism,” she indicated. On India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO scientists deserve appreciation.” BRICS group of nations on Thursday decided to include six new members – Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The new membership will be effective from January 1, 2024. Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) supported the expansion of the grouping, the first such expansion since 2010 when South Africa was inducted into the group. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE have been invited to join the BRICS as part of the first phase of expansion. With this expansion, six of the world’s nine largest oil producers are now part of BRICS. Ramaphosa made the announcement while issuing the Johannesburg Declaration of 15th BRICS Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India has always supported the expansion of BRICS and has always believed that adding new members will strengthen BRICS as an organisation.”