Imposing sanctions against any member of the group would be a disqualifier, according to Moscow

BRICS applicants can’t join in sanctions against any of the economic bloc’s member states, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday, outlining one of the conditions for joining the club.

The group that started as an informal association of Brazil, Russia, India and China has since expanded to nine member states and is expected to discuss further enlargement at its summit in Kazan, Russia later this month.

”One needs to pursue a sovereign policy, have a significant role in international and regional affairs, build good-neighborly and friendly relations with the BRICS countries, and not join in illegitimate sanctions against members of the association,” Ryabkov said at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday, when asked about conditions for aspiring members.

Moscow considers the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies over the Ukraine conflict illegal and illegitimate.

Russia will host the association’s annual summit in Kazan later this month, being the current holder of the revolving chair of the group. Among the countries currently seeking membership are Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Read more

”The doors to BRICS remain open,” Ryabkov told reporters, but expansion should not become an end unto itself. Russia’s objective this year has been to “ensure organic and full integration” of the recently accepted members into the “multifaceted architecture of the BRICS partnership,” while maintaining the dynamics and effectiveness of the international association’s mechanisms and formats, he explained.

Enlargement should always be aimed at increasing the capabilities and international authority of BRICS, Ryabkov added, reminding reporters that all decisions in the association are made by consensus.

Founded in 2006, the organization admitted South Africa in 2011 At the start of 2024, BRICS also welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE, although it decided to retain the founders’ original five-letter acronym.

Current BRICS member countries account for about 46% of the world’s population and over 36% of global GDP, according to estimates by global financial institutions. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that at least 34 countries have expressed interest in joining the organization.