Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dropped a strong hint that the BRICS bloc is ready to grow again — and that Bangladesh may well be the next country invited in, once the present freeze on fresh admissions is lifted. He cautioned, however, that the move could take some time, since the grouping went through its last big expansion only two years ago.
Why the door is shut for now
According to Lavrov, the bloc needs a breathing space to settle into its enlarged form, which is why new entries have been temporarily put on hold. Speaking after talks with Bangladesh's diplomat Khalilur Rahman, he 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.”
In other words, the membership jumped from 5 to 10 almost overnight two years ago, and the ten current members now want time to adapt to that reshaped lineup.
Where Russia stands on Bangladesh
On Bangladesh's bid specifically, Lavrov left little room for doubt about Moscow's position once the pause ends. He stressed:
“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.”
He described the country as a large and important Asian nation whose candidature Russia would back.
A long queue of hopefuls
Lavrov also underlined that the rewards of BRICS membership are considerable, and that interest goes far beyond Bangladesh alone. He noted:
“A big number of countries, more than the current number of BRICS members, want to join these advantages.”
“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.”
That means the number of countries hoping to join already exceeds the bloc's current membership. Bangladesh, for its part, is already a member and shareholder of the New Development Bank and is happy with that involvement.
Bangladesh's road to BRICS
Bangladesh has formally applied for BRICS membership, but the bloc has not yet admitted it. Going by Lavrov's remarks, the odds of it joining next look high. There is one key hurdle, though: expansion runs on consensus, and every member must agree before any new country is brought in. The next BRICS summit is set to be held in India's capital, New Delhi, although the dates are still to be announced.
