Russia and China welcome Malaysia's membership in BRICS
ASTRO AWANI
27/07/2024
Mohamad berkata, Malaysia perlu menunggu lebih kurang satu tahun lagi sebelum keanggotaannya diterima.
VIENTIANE: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Russia and China welcome Malaysia's participation in BRICS.
However, through his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov in Vientiane, Laos, Malaysia said he would have to wait about one more year before his membership was accepted.
"Yesterday I sat next to the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and tomorrow he will come to Kuala Lumpur but he said ' let us look at the new arrangement first' .
"It means let them digest the entry of these five new countries first for one year, he said.
"But he welcomes if Malaysia wishes to be a member of this BRICS country or union.
"China does welcome him and at the same time when he was with Lavrov, he suggested to me to contact the Muslim countries that have just joined the bloc including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Ethiopia," he said.
Mohamad said this in the closing press conference with the Malaysian media delegation in conjunction with the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) hosted by Vientiane, which is the chairman of ASEAN this year.
On 18 June, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that he had expressed his desire to join the intergovernmental organization, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Accordingly, he said Malaysia will go through the processes to enable the country to join the intergovernmental organization.
BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China with South Africa joining the group in 2010.
In January 2024, the countries of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined the organization as new members.
