Photo: brics.br
At the BRICS summit held in Brazil on July 6, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, along with eight other countries, were officially named partners of the organization.
“We welcome the Republic of Indonesia as a BRICS member, as well as the Republic of Belarus, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Cuba, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Malaysia, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Uganda, and the Republic of Uzbekistan as BRICS partner countries,” the joint statement following the summit in Rio de Janeiro said.
In late December 2024, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan would officially receive BRICS partner status starting January 1, 2025.
👉 On July 7, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the social network Truth Social that additional 10% tariffs would be imposed on countries supporting the “anti-American policy” of BRICS.
In response, official representatives of China and Russia emphasized that BRICS is a platform for cooperation among developing countries, not involved in bloc confrontations and not directed against any states. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the BRICS mechanism is not aimed against other countries. “Regarding tariffs, China has repeatedly clarified its position: there are no winners in trade and tariff wars, and protectionism is a dead end,” Mao added.
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also stated that BRICS cooperation is not aimed against third countries, including the U.S. He noted that the uniqueness of the alliance lies in uniting countries with shared approaches and worldviews, rather than creating confrontations with other states.
ℹ️ BRICS is an association of 11 countries: the original five members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—whose initials form the organization’s name, and six new members admitted in 2024–2025: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The organization was founded in June 2006.
The decision to create a category of BRICS partner countries was made at the Kazan summit in October 2024. Representatives of partner countries will be invited to separate sessions during BRICS summits and foreign ministers’ meetings, as well as to participate in other alliance events.
