Pakistan has applied to join the BRICS, a group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is hoping for Russia’s support, according to the country’s ambassador to Moscow Muhammad Khalid Jamali.
Jamali, who is yet to present his credentials, told the Russian news agency TASS that Pakistan had already submitted its application and was in contact with the member countries for their backing, especially Russia, which will assume the presidency of the group in 2024.
BRICS, which was formed in 2006, is set to expand in 2024 with the admission of six new members, including Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt and Indonesia. The group aims to enhance cooperation among its members in various fields, such as trade, investment, finance, health, education, energy, security and culture.
Jamali said Pakistan would like to be part of this important organisation and contribute to its objectives. He said Pakistan shared common interests and challenges with the BRICS countries and had strong ties with them, especially China, which is Pakistan’s “all-weather friend”.
Pakistan’s bid for BRICS membership comes amid its strained relations with India, which is also a member of the group. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have been locked in a dispute over the Kashmir region, which both claim in full but rule in part. Tensions have escalated since August 2019, when India revoked the special status of its part of Kashmir and imposed a security lockdown and communication blackout.
Jamali said Pakistan was ready to resolve all outstanding issues with India through dialogue and peaceful means, but India had not responded positively to Pakistan’s overtures. He said Pakistan hoped that the BRICS platform would help promote regional peace and stability and foster a constructive dialogue among its members.
If Pakistan’s leadership is genuinely concerned about joining BRIC, it’s better to first resolve the tensions between India, develop an export industry, and encourage local production.
Currently Pakistan’s leadership decisions have proven they have no presence of any sort of smart decision making and strategy.
The country literally sits between the two biggest consumer markets on the planet (India and China) and is still seeking a way out of its economic crisis.
Pakistan borders Iran, a country with the some of the largest oil reserves on the planet and yet fails to establish any viable contract.
Pakistan needs to establish its own priorities first, not listen this much exceedingly to the West and amends its geopolitical issues before applying for once on merit to BRIC instead from someone’s “Parchi”
Russia must be eager to help Pakistan because Pakistan supplied ammo to Ukraine to kill Russian soldiers