Under its chairmanship, Brazil has prioritised admission of more new members, by concensus, to broaden BRICS+ numerical strength and aggregate capacity as a non-western influential association. Since the beginning of 2025, the fast-growing BRICS+ has taken on Indonesia, Nigeria and now the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. It has the backing of Russia and China. For instance, Moscow and Baku primarily hold common stakes, interests and views on fostering a more equitable international order, and both are aligned to the fundamental principles for building a multipolar world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on August 19, 2024, in a joint statement, outlined comprehensively several top-priority issues of bilateral cooperation including Baku’s desire of ascension into BRICS+ membership. According official reports, Azerbaijan has achieved widely recognised successes in its socioeconomic development. And it also holds a well-deserved prestige on the global stage, and this will further help to support its networking efforts for more opportunities to develop cooperation.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing, held on January 23, that Russia has consistently supported the expansion of interaction within BRICS with the countries of the Global South and East. “We can only welcome the aspiration by Azerbaijan, much like by other countries close to us, to join cooperation within the framework of the BRICS group which stands for the interests of the global majority. Last year, we talked about this very extensively, and the reason is simple – we were chairing. Now, the chairmanship has passed to another country, but that did not change our overall position,” she said, replying to a question on the matter.
The diplomat further stressed that Russia has consistently supported the expansion of interaction within BRICS with the countries of the Global South and East. Zakharova explained that, above all, this concerns those countries that aim to bolster bilateral foundations in international relations, pursue a sovereign foreign policy and shun illegitimate unilateral sanctions. The spokeswoman added that this stance by Russia was also enshrined in the August 19, 2024 joint statement by the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan.
“In 2024, within the framework of the Russian chairmanship, BRICS aspired to get like-minded countries, including Azerbaijan, involved as much as possible in the group’s events in the traditional outreach/BRICS plus format. These efforts were purposefully continued during the Brazilian term in the group during the current 2025 year,” Zakharova noted. The decision for the country to become a full-fledged BRICS member, just like any other, must be made on the basis of consensus. Last year, Azerbaijan was included in the expanded list of countries that showed interest in strengthening cooperation with the group.
In the case of Nigeria joining BRICS+ as a partner not simply demonstrates an interest of this leading African country in deepening cooperation with countries of the association, but also highlights its preparedness to fight for dynamic changes in the global system. While Russia expressed its readiness to assist Vietnam in joining BRICS in a joint communique issued following Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to Hanoi in mid-Jan. 2024, Indonesia’s membership could flash the greenlight for other Asian countries toward BRICS+ which contributes to building a common space for peace, stability and economic development in the Asian region.
Joining BRICS offers Azerbaijan several strategic advantages. Azerbaijan, the latest new comer under Brazil’s chairmanship in addition to Nigeria in Africa and Indonesia in Asia, can leverage for mutual partnership with China, India and Russia. Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa are exploring opportunities in the BRICS+ bloc. Possibly, the chance to strengthen the level of investment and economic cooperation, engage in diversified trade partnerships must be a strategic priority for Azerbaijan too. Furthermore, it must in reality utilise this chance to open a new chapter for enhancing geopolitical influence and reshape or articulate its role in the central Asian region. Of course, there are existing constraints and challenges, as there is also the hope to turn these into an excellent spring broad. It has to fast-track a host of emerging initiatives and raise its effectiveness for strategic partnership within the group.
Reminding that Azerbaijan, one of the well known post-Soviet republics, is a landlocked at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe, has to serious justify its membership, and preparedness with other BRICS+ member-states to collaborate in promoting the primary ideals for building multipolar world. After the Soviet’s collapse, Azerbaijan republic has doors slightly open for social and economic integration, continues straddling between modernity and the Soviet-styled relics of socio-cultural interaction. With an estimated population of 10.5 million, Azerbaijan is home to a wide variety moslem-religious separatism, so remote society from that of the multipolar world. For Azerbaijan to operate within the comity of BRICS+ simply means adopting changes as well as refining its diplomacy of forging partnerships and to promote religious tolerance in shaping a common future with BRICS+ and the rest of the world.
Generally, BRICS+ is now redefined and classified as a non-western conglomeration of member-states that are collectively building a new form of genuine multilateralism, and further asserting their power against western hegemony and global dominance. The global dominance of the western powers have arisen due to the failure and reluctance of countries located in the global south and the east to prioritise investment and economic development, technical innovations, approach democracy characterised by good governance, and shun deep-seated corruption.
With the rapidly geopolitical shift, BRICS+ is consolidating, in practical terms, the global south agenda for development. BRICS+ is also revitalising the instruments such BRICS New Development Bank (NDB). The NDB is viewed as a significant game-changer under the current circumstances, as it possesses the capacity to impact on sustainable economic transformations comparable to frequently-criticised multilateral financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
BRICS boasts approximately 60% of the world population and huge natural resources, and yet majority of the developing countries are engulfed with abject poverty. Some grossly lack basic dynamism to take up the challenge to transform the economy, while Africa, for instance, remained highly dependent on foreign aid and western support. Expected prosperity cannot be achieved without good governance, transparency, and accountability in the Global South. Enough for geopolitical rhetorics. It is about time for BRICS+ leaders and its partner states to act with urgency, determination, and a shared vision for prosperity across the Global South.
Kester Kenn Klomegah is an independent researcher and a policy consultant on African affairs in the Russian Federation and Eurasian Union.
