Malaysia – a BRICS partner nation now
Malaysia is now one of 13 nations officially added to BRICS as a partner country, a bloc that collectively accounts for one-fifth of global trade.
This was confirmed via @BRICSInfo on X.
It is not a full member yet.
The other 12 nations are Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, confirmed that Malaysia had submitted an application to Russia to join the BRICS intergovernmental organisation on July 28.
Russia currently chairs the bloc, which also includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
Anwar confirmed Malaysia’s intention to join BRICS during a discussion with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on June 18.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China, was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies, with South Africa joining in 2010.
The bloc has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
BRICS represents about 40 per cent of the global population and accounts for a cumulative gross domestic product (GDP) of US$26.6 trillion, or 26.2 per cent of the world’s GDP, nearly matching the economic strength of the Group of Seven (G7). (US$1 = RM4.34).
The G7 is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.
Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli, is scheduled to deliver the country’s national statement at the BRICS Outreach/BRICS Plus Summit in Kazan, Russia, today.
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