Belarus officially became a BRICS partner
Belarus has officially become a BRICS partner, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On November 5, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing the country's readiness to join BRICS as a partner. During a meeting with Russian Ambassador Boris Gryzlov, Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov handed the document to the Russian diplomat.
"An official response to a written invitation is a mandatory element of the procedure for obtaining partner status agreed upon by the member states. It is from this moment that the country is officially considered a BRICS partner," the MFA press service explained.
In his message, the President of Belarus emphasized that since its formation, BRICS has been steadily strengthening multilateral cooperation, becoming not just a symbol but one of the pillars of multipolarity. Not only member states but also a growing number of Global Majority countries now link their hopes for a just world order with this association. The spirit of mutual respect and equality, and the attractiveness of its goals, are inexorably leading to the expansion of BRICS.
Alexander Lukashenko thanked his Russian counterpart for his support and noted with particular satisfaction that Belarus's participation in BRICS as a partner is being formalized during Russia's presidency.
Thus, Belarus has confirmed its compliance with the necessary standards and criteria and agreed to follow the guiding principles of the BRICS partner country model. Among these principles, particular emphasis is placed on: the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, equality, solidarity, openness, inclusivity, and consensus; the focus on strengthening the BRICS cooperation structure through partnership in three main areas: politics and security, economy and finance, and culture and interpersonal contacts; the focus on strengthening multilateral cooperation, reinforcing and renewing the multilateral system, and upholding international law; the adoption of the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter as an integral cornerstone of multilateral cooperation and international law; support for comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture to reflect changes in the global economic landscape, accelerate progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and take into account legitimate interests.
Belarus also meets all applicable standards and criteria, in particular, it is a state with influence in the region and the world, has diplomatic relations with all BRICS states, has not joined sanctions bypassing the UN Security Council, promotes peace and security at the international and regional levels, and supports sustainable socio-economic development.
"The status of a partner country, among other things, provides for permanent participation in special sessions of BRICS summits and meetings of foreign ministers. Partners may also be invited to other ministerial-level events, in particular, on trade issues, meetings of national security representatives, and a forum of parliamentarians. Partners can join BRICS final documents, thereby expanding their geographical reach and strengthening the voice of the association in international affairs," the ministry noted.