Bolivia, Cuba to join BRICS as partners starting January 2025
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BRICS leaders finalized a list of partner countries during the summit held in Kazan, Russia, from October 22-24.
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BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP)
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announced on Friday that Bolivia and Cuba will join BRICS as partner countries starting January 1, 2025.
"[Bolivia and Cuba] are part of the group that has received an invitation. We are sure that everything will work out in terms of them connecting [to BRICS] as partner states," Ryabkov told reporters.
The deputy minister stated that the coordination process with the invited states was still underway and would be finalized by the conclusion of Russia's presidency in the organization.
"There is, of course, no backing out, and there can be none. For all invited countries, this is a big, serious prospect, so there are only a few days left, after which the relevant list will be made public," Ryabkov added.
BRICS leaders finalized a list of partner countries during the summit held in Kazan, Russia, from October 22-24. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed on Wednesday that the list includes 13 countries, with Belarus and Bolivia among them.
Read more: 3 Southeast Asian states take up BRICS 'partners' status
BRICS, an intergovernmental organization founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2006, expanded to include South Africa in 2010.
This year, the group underwent its second expansion, admitting Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia has yet to formalize its membership but has participated in BRICS meetings.
BRICS dispute
Venezuela was set to join the BRICS group earlier this year; however, Brazil opposed its membership, citing concerns over Venezuela's political instability and governance issues.
This decision has further strained relations between the two nations, with Venezuela condemning Brazil's veto as "immoral aggression."
On October 26, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of faking an accident to avoid attending the BRICS summit, where Brazil vetoed Venezuela's entry into the bloc.
Saab claimed that "direct sources" informed him that Lula staged the incident as a deliberate excuse to sidestep the summit and facilitate Brazil's opposition to Venezuela's membership bid.
Lula had been scheduled to attend the summit in Kazan, Russia, but canceled his trip following a reported injury at home. Brazilian authorities stated the cancellation was based on medical advice, although Lula returned to work just three days later.
Saab, however, questioned the credibility of Lula's injury, pointing to a video showing the Brazilian president "in good health, smiling, and unscathed," which he suggested undermines the official explanation.
