The country is among those that have applied to join the Moscow-led bloc
Malaysia will be attending the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia and is eagerly awaiting a decision on its bid to join the group, the country’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, said on Thursday.
Speaking at the plenary session of the 9th annual Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, the premier said BRICS membership would allow his country to “intensify engagement” with sub-regions and strengthen ties with strategic partners, including Russia.
“In applying to join BRICS, Malaysia aims to diversify economic diplomacy and enhance collaboration,” Anwar stated. He personally thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invitation to attend the BRICS summit in the city of Kazan, which is scheduled for October 22 to 24.
At a press-briefing with Malaysian media prior to the session, Anwar said that as a non-member, Malaysia’s invitation to the summit signals it is among the nations being “prioritized” for potential acceptance to BRICS. The premier stated that his discussions with the prime ministers of India and China, as well as with President Putin and the president of Brazil, had all been positive with regard to Malaysia becoming a member of the group.
Anwar disclosed Malaysia’s bid to join BRICS in June. He said at the time that his country was “relieved” that the world is no longer unipolar, and that the rise of BRICS and China in particular has offered “a glimmer of hope that there are checks and balances in the world.”
BRICS was initially founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010. This year, four more countries officially joined the bloc, including Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, with Saudi Arabia currently finalizing the accession process.
Speaking at the EEF plenary session, Putin said than over 30 countries had so far shown an interest in either joining or cooperating with BRICS. He remarked that the relations between member-states are “developing very successfully,” and that all new members are contributing to the development of the group with their distinctive cultures and a rapidly developing economies.
