Bangladesh set to seek BRICS membership
Bangladesh will apply to join BRICS alliance, and the process to formally seek its membership is underway, according to an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On June 19, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh would welcome if BRICS formally invites it to join the grouping of five member states -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
"We will surely join once they invite us. We have yet to receive any formal letter. BRICS leaders are thinking of taking some emerging economies -- around eight new countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Bangladesh," he told reporters at his ministry on Monday.
Earlier in Geneva, Momen hinted that Bangladesh is likely to become a member of BRICS in August this year.
He said the issue of Bangladesh joining was raised when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa in Geneva on June 15.
Momen recently said BRICS invited Bangladesh as a guest and would invite Bangladesh to join the platform in the future.
BRICS, the platform of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, are described as fast-growing economies that would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050.
Meanwhile, commenting on Bangladesh's interest in joining BRICS, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry on Monday said, "The expansion of BRICS is a political consensus reached by all five BRICS members. China is committed to advancing the BRICS expansion and stands ready to bring more like-minded partners into the big family of BRICS."
Ning said as an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS is committed to upholding multilateralism, vigorously advancing the reform of the global governance system, and increasing the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries, according to the briefing note sent by the Chinese embassy in Dhaka to the media.
Comments