Thailand Eager To Join BRICS As Soon As Possible – Foreign Minister

Joy ChukwuJune 13, 20241 Mins read386

Thailand has said it is eager to join BRICS “as soon as possible” and increase its regional and Chinese engagement.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the BRICS foreign ministers’ summit.

Maris said:

Thailand is willing to join the BRICS mechanism as soon as possible, play a more active role in South-South cooperation, and strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms.

This announcement came after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration approved a draft letter late last month, indicating Bangkok’s intention to join the bloc of emerging economies.

Russia chaired the 2024 BRICS annual summit, following South Africa. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov inaugurated the two-day BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting as chair, held in Nizhny Novgorod from June 10 to 11.

This was the first meeting since the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, alongside its original members: Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa.

Participants discussed “international relations, improvement of the global governance system with emphasis on strengthening the role of developing countries, conflict resolution, and interaction in leading multilateral platforms,” according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

The BRICS leaders’ summit is scheduled for October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia.