Belarus announced on Monday that it has officially been granted the status of a BRICS partner country.
The press service of the Foreign Ministry wrote:
On November 5, 2024, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a letter addressed to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the readiness of our country to join BRICS as a partner. The document was handed over by Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov to Russian Ambassador Boris Gryzlov during a personal meeting. An official response to a written invitation is a mandatory element of the procedure agreed upon by the member states for obtaining partnership status. It is from this moment the country is officially considered a BRICS partner.
President Alexander Lukashenko thanked his Russian colleague for his support and noted that Belarus’ participation in BRICS as a partner is formalised precisely during the Russian presidency.
Belarus confirmed its compliance with the necessary standards and criteria and agreed to follow the principles of the BRICS partner countries’ model – mutual respect, equality, solidarity, openness, adoption of the UN principles, support for comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture, the press service informs. The Foreign Ministry said:
Belarus also meets all the required standards and criteria, in particular, it is a state with influence in the region and the world, has diplomatic relations with all BRICS states, has not joined sanctions bypassing the UN Security Council, promotes peace and security at the international and regional levels, supports sustainable socio-economic development.
The Foreign Ministry added that the status of a partner country, among other things, provides for participation on a permanent basis in special sessions of BRICS summits and meetings of foreign ministers. It is also possible to invite partners to other ministerial-level events, in particular on trade, national security meetings and parliamentary forum. Partners can join BRICS outcomes, thereby expanding their geographical reach and strengthening the voice of the BRICS in international affairs.
Originally founded in 2009, Brazil, Russia, India and China formally admitted South Africa in 2011, expanding its name to BRICS to reflect the initials of the five members.
Last December, six more countries – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – were invited to join the bloc.
