Azerbaijan Expresses Interest in Joining BRICS

Azerbaijan has expressed a strong interest in joining the BRICS group, according to the republic’s Ambassador to Moscow, Polad Bulbuloglu. 

Speaking in an interview with TASS ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to Baku, Bulbuloglu acknowledged Azerbaijan’s intentions to become a part of the influential economic bloc.

"There is a long queue of those willing to join BRICS. Azerbaijan has indeed stated such willingness. We have talked about it with our Russian colleagues, but this process and issue is in progress," Bulbuloglu revealed. 

BRICS, founded in 2006, initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. 

The bloc recently expanded, with Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia being invited to join during the 2023 summit in Johannesburg. 

While Argentina later declined, the five remaining countries became official members on January 1, 2024.

Russia, currently holding the rotating chairmanship of BRICS, plans to host over 200 events throughout the year, culminating in a major summit in Kazan, Tatarstan, in October 2024.