Nigeria has been accepted as a "partner country" of the BRICS group of emerging economies, as confirmed by Brazil, the current chair of the bloc, reports AP. Established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS expanded in 2010 to include South Africa, positioning itself as a counterbalance to the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations. Russia will help Vietnam to join BRICS bloc of developing nations In the previous year, the bloc welcomed Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been extended an invitation to join, while Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have submitted formal membership applications. Several other nations have also shown interest. Nigeria is now the ninth partner country in BRICS, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. “With the world’s sixth-largest population, Africa’s largest, and as one of the continent’s leading economies, Nigeria shares aligned interests with other BRICS members,” Brazil’s government stated on Friday. “It actively contributes to advancing South-South cooperation and reforming global governance, which are key priorities under Brazil’s current presidency.” Indonesia becomes full member of BRICS Last year, President-elect Donald Trump warned of imposing 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they attempted to weaken the U.S. dollar. In response, BRICS leaders have reiterated their commitment to developing an alternative payment system independent of the dollar.

Russia will facilitate Vietnam's participation in the BRICS bloc of developing economies as a “partner country,” the countries said in a joint statement on Wednesday after Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s two-day visit to Hanoi. “The Russian side welcomed Vietnam’s active participation in BRICS events in 2024 and expressed its readiness to create favorable conditions if Vietnam joins BRICS as a partner country,” the statement said, AP reports. BRICS was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010, as a counterweight to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations. Last year, the bloc added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been invited to join. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, and a few others have expressed interest. Vietnam's Southeast Asian neighbor Indonesia was admitted as a full BRICS member this month. Russia forms an emergency task force over oil spill But Vietnam remains reticent to join the bloc, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow in the Vietnam Studies Program at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. “Hanoi is still cautious of what the Trump administration will think about BRICS and the potential consequences of becoming a full member in the worst-case scenario. Meanwhile, the benefits are not that substantial for Hanoi to take such a risk,” he said. Vietnam needs support from the US to advance its economic ambitions and diversify its defense ties. Russia has been trying to bolster ties in Asia to offset its growing international isolation over its war in Ukraine. NKorean troops in Ukraine gain battlefield experience, cementing alliance with Russia During Mishustin’s visit to Hanoi, the countries agreed to expand their cooperation on nuclear power. “Russia is ready to participate in building a national nuclear power industry in Vietnam,” the joint statement said.

Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey A Ryabkov has pledged to advance the “matured” relations with Bangladesh to a new height. The Deputy Foreign Minister thanked the government of Bangladesh for its renewed commitment to remain engaged with the BRICS process. He assured that the Russian government will support Bangladesh for a greater role in the bloc during its future expansion, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The issues were discussed when Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin, held a bilateral meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. During the meeting, both sides discussed areas of mutual interest and cooperation, with a focus on further strengthening the relations between the two countries. The discussions also featured holding the next Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Moscow, Russia. The Foreign Secretary highlighted the historical ties between Bangladesh and Russia and underscored the importance of cooperation in the areas of energy and food security between two countries.

Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong has appreciated Bangladesh’s interest to join BRICS for which he assured of China’s active support.  In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the "BRIC" group. South Africa joined in 2010, making it "BRICS". Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were invited to become members with effect from 1 January 2024. During the 13th round of bilateral political consultations between Bangladesh and China held in Beijing on June 3, both parties agreed to work jointly for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to China next month.  Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation while the Chinese side was led by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong.  The Bangladesh delegation comprised of Ambassador of Bangladesh to China Jashim Uddin, Additional Secretary of ERD Anwar Hossain and officials from the Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh Embassy in China.  Officials from Foreign Ministry of China were present on the other side.  The consultations focused on consolidating bilateral relations, enhancing economic ties, promoting trade and investment and exploring opportunities for cooperation in multilateral platform, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The Chinese vice minister underscored the importance of high-level exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.  FTA with China: Bangladesh wants more employment opportunities; investment, says Titu He conveyed China’s willingness to work together to import mango and other agricultural products from Bangladesh and also to assist skill development of the youth. The Chinese side assured to expedite the repatriation of the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh.  Weidong mentioned that the two countries’ embassies in Dhaka and Beijing may work together for the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.  Foreign Secretary Masud mentioned that Bangladesh attaches significant importance to its relations with China based on shared values, mutual respect and common aspirations.  He recalled the visit of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to China during 1952 and 1957 and expected the book “The New China as I saw” to be published in Chinese language before the upcoming VVIP visit. 

Director of the South Asia Institute at Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. Michael Kugelman has said it may be more difficult for the US to make a “conclusive judgment” on the upcoming national election results in Bangladesh if opposition BNP boycotts it. “Because if the Awami League is running against itself, if it gets 98% of the vote, you can't say that those votes were taken away from the BNP. So it's all very unsettled,” he told UNB in an interview, noting that the Biden administration wants a free and fair election in Bangladesh and at the end of the day, the US wants to have a good relationship with Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh keeps reiterating that it is committed to holding a “free, fair and peaceful” election in the country. The next national election is likely to be held in December this year or January next. EU expects next election in Bangladesh to be free, fair and free from violence: Gilmore in exclusive interview

Iran and Saudi Arabia are among six nations invited Thursday (August 24, 2023) to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies. United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to join the bloc from 2024. The announcement was made at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country is the current BRICS chair. Also read: China to support Bangladesh in joining BRICS: XI tells Hasina during talks BRICS is currently made up of the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Those five members agreed at this week's summit to expand the bloc. It's the second time that BRICS has decided to expand. The bloc was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was added in 2010. The BRICS bloc represents around 40% of the world's population and contributes more than a quarter of global GDP. Three of the group's other leaders are attending the summit and were present alongside Ramaphosa for the announcement, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Also read: BRICS: China, Russia and other emerging economies turn to main summit agenda in South Africa Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to the summit after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March for the abduction of children from Ukraine. He has participated in the summit virtually, while Russia was represented at the announcement in Johannesburg by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

China will always stay beside Bangladesh in its needs that included supporting it in joining the BRICS and ensuring permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday (August 23, 2023) evening gave the assurance in a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Hotel Hilton Sandton here on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit. The Chinese president also gave assurance of cooperation in making Bangladesh a developed, prosperous Sonar Bangla and taking initiative to quicken the signing of the Preferential-free Trade Agreement with Bangladesh and reducing the imbalance in China-Bangladesh trade. Also read: Unhindered democracy spurs Bangladesh’s advancement: PM Hasina Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen briefed reporters after the bilateral talks between the two leaders. During the meeting, he said, both the leaders invited one another to visit their respective countries at their convenient time and they have agreed to this respect. “I will always support you (Sheikh Hasina) as you can join the BRICS,” Momen quoted the Chinese president as saying l. Regarding the Rohingya issue, Xi wants to resolve the Rohingya issue through tripartite engagement of China, Bangladesh and Myanmar and assured that they will always support Bangladesh to this end. Also read: Join our journey of becoming a trillion-dollar economy: PM Hasina tells South African businesses “China will help Bangladesh in bringing a permanent solution to the Rohingya issue. ---we don’t want instability in the region,” he was quoted as saying by the foreign minister. Bangladesh prime minister said that her government wants to repatriate Rohingyas to their homeland citing that they are becoming threats for the peace of the region as many of them are engaged in illegal drugs and arms trading. Also read: PM Hasina reaches Johannesburg to attend BRICS summit “Peace is imperative for development,” she said. Xi also expressed his country’s keenness to help Bangladesh in the development of energy, renewable energy and infrastructure. “China will help you materialise your dream to build a developed and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ at the quickest possible time.” Hasina also sought the Chinese president’s help in quick implementation of some Chinese funded projects which are now being stuck for fund crisis while the Chinese leader is assured of looking into the matters. Read more: BRICS Summit 2023 unveils potential geopolitical paradigm shift: Modern Diplomacy During the talks, the prime inister stressed the need for reducing the trade gap between Bangladesh and China citing that Bangladesh has currently imported Chinese goods worth about 20 billion US dollars every year while China imported Bangladeshi goods worth only 700 million US dollars. The Chinese president in reply said they must address the issue and said that China has given duty and quota free access to 98 percent Bangladeshi products to the Chinese market. Hasina said that the trade gap between Bangladesh and China will be reduced if some Chinese investments come to Bangladesh. She also stressed the need for signing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two countries. “We will take measures to quicken the signing of the Preferential Trade Agreement between the countries,” Xi said in reply. Read more: BRICS Summit: Hasina, Modi likely to hold meeting on the sidelines Momen said that Bangladesh has expressed its eagerness to export fresh fruits such as mango, jackfruit, guava, fresh vegetables and cattle and poultry feeds to China. The Chinese leader assured them that they must consider it, Momen said. Bangladesh premier invited the Chinese President to visit Bangladesh to witness the opening of the Padma Rail Bridge to be held in October next. In reply, the Chinese president said that he will definitely come to Bangladesh. “But the time of visit will be fixed through talks between foreign ministers of both the countries.” Read more: 2023 BRICS Summit: Lot of interest in how new members are chosen and which countries would be eligible Xi Jingping also invited Bangladesh PM to visit China and in reply Sheikh Hasina said she will visit China. “But it may take time as she will be busy with the election campaign as the national election is knocking the door, the foreign minister said. Sheikh Hasina urged the Chinese President to widen the scope for Bangladeshi students to study in China while Xi assured of looking into the matter. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, PM's daughter and Thematic Ambassador of Climate Vulnerable Forum and Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Saima Wazed, PM's Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Senior Secretary of Foreign Affairs Masud Bin Momen, were present in the meeting. Read more: Developed countries should be happy that BRICS would like to help developing nations: Momen

Bangladesh thinks the group of major emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) — should not be considered “platform of geopolitics”, but a supportive platform for emerging economies to help developing countries. “The developed countries should be happy that the BRICS emerging countries, who have resources, would like to help developing countries,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told journalists at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the BRICS Summit 2023. The briefing was arranged to highlight PM Hasina’s engagements at the BRICS Summit. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Ministry Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin, among others, were present. Read: India is a mature govt, they can say something for regional interest: Momen Momen said it should be win-win for all the countries though some people speak more about the geopolitical tension for some reason. The BRICS will hold its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24. Momen, however, said the countries of the Global South are facing difficulties as many banks were expelled from the SWIFT, a bank messaging system for transacting dollars. “Many speak about de-dollarisation, but it is not easy. We don’t have much to comment on this,” he said. Read: BRICS Summit: Hasina, Modi likely to hold meeting on the sidelines “So, if the emerging countries support us with funding, the developed countries should be happy. In that case, their responsibilities will be shared. None is their enemy,” Momen added. Indian Prime Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the global leaders who are traveling to South Africa this week for the BRICS Summit. India and China are two core members of the BRICS nations, which also include Brazil, Russia and South Africa. A regular flight (EK 583) of the Emirates Airlines is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) with Prime Minister Hasina and her entourage members at 10:15 am on August 22. The flight will arrive at the O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa at 20:50 hrs after a short stopover at the Dubai International Airport. Read: US being profoundly vocal on human rights should hand over Bangabandhu’s self-confessed killer: Shahriar Alam The Prime Minister will be received by a minister-in-waiting of the South Africa government and High Commissioner of Bangladesh to South Africa at the airport from where Sheikh Hasina will be escorted to the Place of Residence, Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton Johannesburg. On her first day of engagement in Johannesburg, the Prime Minister will attend the Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit at 10 am at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Center on August 23. On the same day, she will attend and speak at the Bangladesh Envoys Conference in South Africa at the Palace of Residence at 12:30 pm. The Premier is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President XI Jinping at Hotel Hilton, Sandton at 3:30 pm. Read: Busy schedule awaits PM Hasina during her BRICS visit to South Africa She will later attend a banquet and cultural show at the Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg. On August 24, the Prime Minister will attend the Friends of BRICS Leaders Dialogue (BRICS-Africa Outreach and the BRICS Plus Dialogues) to begin from 9 am at the Sandton Convention Centre. She is scheduled to deliver a speech at the summit for five minutes. On the sideline of the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Vana Rousseff at the Sandton Convention Centre. She will attend a luncheon hosted by President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa. The Premier will attend a meeting of the community leaders on August 25. Sheikh Hasina will depart the O.R. Tambo International Airport by a flight (EK 762) of the Emirates Airlines at 13:40 pm (local time) and will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:40 pm on August 27 following a brief stopover at the Dubai International Airport. Read more: Bangladesh's inclusion in BRICS depends on members: Foreign Minister

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are likely to hold a meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Both South Asian leaders are traveling to the African country this week. They will be visiting Johannesburg, South Africa from August 22 to 24 to attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa. During his visit, Indian Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs without mentioning names. Bangladesh's inclusion in BRICS depends on members: Foreign Minister Prime Minister Hasina will also attend the G20 Summit in India in September. The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10 will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. BRICS Summit 2023 unveils potential geopolitical paradigm shift: Modern Diplomacy Talking to reporters, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen had earlier said that New Delhi will be better than Johannesburg for a bilateral meeting with Indian PM Modi. The two countries are already in touch regarding the meeting. Momen also said that Africa is a “rising star”, and Bangladesh wants to make stronger connections with countries in the continent. “Our relations with African countries are not that strong. We have opened two missions there. The prime minister will give them instructions (to make greater efforts),” he remarked. This will be the first in-person BRICS Summit since 2019. The Summit will provide an opportunity to review progress of the initiatives launched by the grouping, and identify future areas of activity. 2023 BRICS Summit: Lot of interest in how new members are chosen and which countries would be eligible Prime Minister Modi will also participate in a special event “BRICS – Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue” being organised after the BRICS Summit, which will include other countries invited by South Africa.

The upcoming summit of BRICS, a group of major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, holds significant implications for global geopolitics, reported Modern Diplomacy on Friday (August 11, 2023). The summit has its central agenda revolving around the launch of a common currency among the member nations, the report said, adding that the move, aimed at reducing the dominance of the U.S. Dollar in international trade, has the potential to reshape the geopolitical landscape and challenge American supremacy. "For decades, the U.S. Dollar has reigned supreme in global trade and transactions, affording the United States unparalleled economic and geopolitical leverage. The U.S. has been using dollar and economy as tools to coerce and pressurize its adversaries," it said. "Imposing sanctions was a common tool against its rivals to achieve political goals." 2023 BRICS Summit: Lot of interest in how new members are chosen and which countries would be eligible There has been a growing sentiment against the U.S. hegemony, supremacy and coercion. "The proposed launch of a BRICS common currency or de-dollarization aims to alter this status quo, potentially diminishing the American influence and power that is closely tied to the dollar's dominance," it said. "BRICS is a strong Alliance and plays a huge role in Global Trade and Investments, and above all, it is above American influence," it added. "BRICS is in a position to transform the global economy in total. This move represents a growing discontent with the U.S. dollar's global dominance and a push toward Eastern superiority." BRICS Summit: PM Hasina’s meetings on sidelines yet to be confirmed, says foreign ministry spokesperson