Russia will accord primacy to the candidacies of Kazakhstan and Belarus, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made this statement during a press conference following the conclusion of the BRICS summit held in the Republic of South Africa.
"Kazakhstan and Belarus are, without a doubt, among our closest partners. Naturally, when we contemplate the future trajectory of BRICS expansion, these countries will be given precedence," the deputy minister stated.
Ryabkov emphasized that Russia will ensure the continuity of all aspects of the association's work when it assumes the BRICS chairmanship in 2024.
The BRICS summit for this year took place from August 22 to 24 in Johannesburg under the leadership of South Africa and marked one of the most significant gatherings of heads of state and government from the Global South in recent times. The summit extended invitations to leaders from 54 African nations. The attending leaders collectively agreed that starting from January 1, 2024, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran would officially become members of the association. Furthermore, a fresh list of prospective member countries will be prepared for consideration at the upcoming summit.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS