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Belarus looks forward to joining BRICS fast

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MINSK, 23 August (BelTA) – Belarus intends to get a confirmation of joining BRICS as fast as possible, BelTA learned from Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik, who leads the Belarusian delegation at the BRICS summit in South Africa.

Sergei Aleinik said: “The BRICS summit has started working. Today most of the events are taking place as communication of the heads of state and heads of government of the BRICS member states. As a matter of principle, all the leaders of the BRICS member states have expressed their political support for expanding the membership of this organization. And the countries, which have submitted membership applications, including Belarus, count on getting a confirmation of their joining this organization as fast as possible.”

Sergei Aleinik stressed that BRICS has become a self-sufficient organization that contributes to the formation of a fairer world order and a fairer system of economic relations. The expansion of the BRICS membership will allow substantially enhancing the organization’s potential, the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs is convinced.

Sergei Aleinik remarked that the combined GDP of the BRICS member states already exceeds the G7’s GDP. Once BRICS’ expansion is over, the organization will have an even greater political and economic potential.

At present BRICS accounts for 42% of the planet’s population and 31.5% of the world’s GDP (while G7’s GDP is 30.7% of the world’s GDP), about 20% of the global trade, and 25% of direct investments.

The Belarusian minister of foreign affairs also said that he had a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit on 23 August. In particular, Sergei Aleinik met with the ministers of foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia and Equatorial Guinea, the UAE minister of state for international cooperation, Angola’s minister of state for economic coordination, and with the president of Eritrea. “All the meetings proceeded in a very constructive and friendly atmosphere. Concrete matters concerning the expansion of bilateral cooperation in politics, trade, and economy were discussed. The development of interaction in agriculture and the resolution of food security issues in these countries were in focus,” Sergei Aleinik said.

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