Russia to welcome Bangladesh’s candidature when BRICS expansion resumes — Lavrov

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. The process of admitting new members to BRICS is currently on hold but as soon as this pause ends, Russia will welcome Bangladesh as a candidate for membership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"As for BRICS, the ten members currently comprising the group have agreed to put the admission of new members on hold for the time being, because just two years ago the number of BRICS members doubled overnight from 5 to 10, and we need a little time to adjust to the new lineup," he said after talks with top Bangladeshi diplomat Khalilur Rahman.

"But our stance on Bangladesh’s candidature when this pause is over is as follows: we will welcome the candidature of this large and important Asian nation," Lavrov stressed.

According to the top Russian diplomat, advantages from the BRICS membership are obvious. That is why "a big number of countries, more than the current number of BRICS members, want to join these advantages," he said. "We fully understand the aspirations of the applicants, including our friends from Bangladesh, who are already members and shareholders of the New Development Bank and are very pleased with such participation."