Syria Can Still Be Considered For BRICS If New Government Confirms Interest

The BRICS will review Syria’s existing membership application if the new Syrian authorities endorse it, according to Sergey Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Russia’s Sherpa in the BRIC. Russia currently holds the BRICS Presidency.

Ryabkov said that “We consider applications of all countries very seriously, and Syria is no exception. But we do not rush anyone, we do not pressure anyone towards anything, and we treat any choice with respect. In the end, this matter is too serious for us to focus on formal indicators in terms of membership.”

Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s Ambassador to Russia had previously said that under the Assad regime, Syria had been “engaged in serious discussions” about BRICS membership. Russia’s Pivot To Asia previously discussed Syria’s bid to join BRICS here.