BAKU (Politico) — The BRICS group of emerging economies could soon have a new member, with Azerbaijan having announced its intention to sign up to the club.
In a statement on August 27, Aykhan Hajizade, spokesperson for the South Caucasus country’s foreign ministry, confirmed that Azerbaijan is pushing for membership in the BRICS bloc of countries.
Initially founded in 2009 to foster closer ties among Russia, China, India and Brazil, the partnership now comprises nine members including Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and the UAE.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously sought to brand BRICS as an alliance of “the global majority” as part of Moscow’s efforts to challenge a dominant West and evade sanctions related to Russia’s war on Ukraine. The group has also been at the forefront of a push to replace the dollar as the key currency of international trade.
Membership of BRICS is invitation-only, but multiple countries were given the chance to join at the start of this year.
The Azerbaijan announcement comes after Putin landed in the capital, Baku, on Sunday, August 18, for bilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. On August 19, Aliyev hailed the fact that “our economic and trade relations are progressing successfully” despite global challenges.
