Thailand Submits Official Letter To Join Brics

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, June 21 (Bernama) -- Thailand has officially submitted a formal letter of intent to join the intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, known by its acronym BRICS, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura.

Nikorndej said the formal letter of intent to join the group during the BRICS ministerial meeting has been submitted over a week ago and hoped to receive a positive feedback soon.

"We hope to receive positive feedback and be accepted as BRICS member as soon as the next BRICS summit to be held in Russia, October this year," he told a press conference here Thursday.

The announcement comes days after its southern neighbour’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated in an interview with Chinese media on Monday that Malaysia would soon begin formal procedures to join the BRICS economic bloc.

BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India and China, while South Africa joined the group in 2010.

BRICS now accounts for a quarter of the global economy, including a fifth of global trade and representing around 40 per cent of the world's population.

In recent years, the group began expanding membership, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates joining the group and more than 40 countries expressing interest.

-- BERNAMA