Syria has applied to join the BRICS group: Syria "We are very interested in joining the BRICS

MOSCOW: Syria has sent an application to join the BRICS. "We are very interested in joining the BRICS. We have sent written requests to join the organization," he told TASS on the sidelines of the North Caucasus: New Geostrategic Opportunities forum.

Now the association, established in 2006, includes 10 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia. Several countries have applied to join the BRICS over the past month. At the end of August, the Azerbaijani authorities expressed such a desire by submitting an appropriate appeal. Turkey's application was also received in early September. At the end of September, the head of the government of Burkina Faso, Appoliner Kjelem de Tambela, notified Russian Ambassador Igor Martynov of the country's desire to join the BRICS, the other day Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop expressed hope "in the near future" to apply for membership.

As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, one of the conditions for joining the BRICS is non—alignment with sanctions against the member countries of the association. "It is necessary to pursue a sovereign course, it is necessary to have a significant role in international and regional affairs, to build good-neighborly and good relations with the BRICS countries, not to join illegitimate sanctions against the members of the association," he explained.

In the summer, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that the number of countries wishing to join the BRICS is constantly increasing. So, according to him, more than thirty states have already applied to join the association.

Earlier, Ryabkov said that the leaders of more than 30 countries confirmed their participation in the BRICS summit in the capital of Tatarstan, which will be held from October 22 to 24. Among those who have already promised to come to Kazan are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Since January 1, 2024, five more BRICS founding countries (Russia, India, China, Brazil and South Africa) have joined. These are Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the BRICS countries are developing very rapidly, which will continue to be observed. Thus, the share of the BRICS countries in 1992 was only 16%, but now it exceeds the G7 level.