Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has confirmed that work on integrating Saudi Arabia into the BRICS association is actively underway and is considered of utmost importance by Moscow. Peskov addressed journalists, emphasizing that the topic had been discussed during President Putin's visit to Riyadh in December.
"The work on Saudi Arabia's integration with the BRICS countries continues; we consider it very important. It was also discussed during President Putin's recent visit to Riyadh," stated the Kremlin spokesman.
Peskov, however, noted that he was not aware of the statement made by Saudi Trade Minister Majid al-Qasabi. Al-Qasabi had responded to a question about the kingdom's potential joining of BRICS, stating that it had not yet officially occurred.
Saudi Arabia, alongside Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, received invitations to join BRICS following a summit in August 2023. While Argentina's new authorities declined the invitation in December, citing practical considerations, the remaining countries commenced full-fledged participation in BRICS activities on January 1.
The BRICS group, initially established in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded in 2011 to include South Africa. Russia is set to hold the BRICS presidency in 2024.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS