Belarus has officially become a partner of BRICS (an association of nine states: Brazil, Russia, India, China, the People's Republic of China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia). This is reported by BELTA with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic.

The letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing the country's readiness to join BRICS as a partner was signed by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

The document was delivered to the Russian Ambassador in Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, by Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov.

In the letter, Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that since its establishment, the BRICS alliance has consistently strengthened multilateral cooperation, becoming not only a symbol but one of the pillars of multipolarity.

“The spirit of mutual respect and equality, the attractiveness of its goals with inexorable logic lead to the expansion of BRICS” the letter states.

The status of a partner country provides for permanent participation in special summit sessions and meetings of the foreign ministers of the alliance. Partners may also be invited to other ministerial-level events, such as those focused on trade, national security meetings, and parliamentary forums. Partners can join the final BRICS documents, thus expanding their geographic reach and strengthening the voice of the alliance in international affairs.

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