Commenting on Azerbaijan’s application to join BRICS, the Deputy Minister noted that Moscow is “very pleased” with this development. “We support Azerbaijan’s application. We believe that Azerbaijan is a strong candidate that, by joining BRICS, will undoubtedly bring additional dynamism and unique experience, including the ability to work on multiple agendas simultaneously in a constructive manner, which is very characteristic of BRICS,” Ryabkov stated.
“We are currently working on the category of partner states, and by the time of the summit in Kazan, where the esteemed President Ilham Aliyev has been invited, we will also be developing a list of partner states in accordance with the instructions given last year at the summit in Johannesburg. There are various possibilities and different algorithms. But once again, we support Azerbaijan’s application to join BRICS,” emphasized the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
Ryabkov also highlighted that the essence of BRICS is “the rejection of pressure and blackmail, and the respect for principles and norms of international law.” “All of this fully aligns with the policy that Azerbaijan pursues under the leadership of its president. We have excellent relations with Azerbaijan. I believe that the movement towards BRICS and closer ties with BRICS will continue, but I would like to point out that all decisions within BRICS are made by consensus. The chairmanship has significant influence, but not everything depends on it,” concluded the Deputy Minister.
