KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin today for inviting him to attend next month’s BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
He expressed his gratitude during his speech at the plenary session of the 9th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok in Russia today, which was also attended by key Russian and global investment communities.
“This invitation marks a major step towards our ultimate goal of joining the grouping,” Anwar said.
By applying to join BRICS, Malaysia aimed to diversify the country’s economic diplomacy efforts and enhance collaboration with member countries through shared initiatives and strategic partnerships.
Russia is currently the BRICS chair.
Established in 2009, BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010, before Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined as new members in January this year.
Together, BRICS members account for a cumulative gross domestic product of US$26.6 trillion (RM115.3 trillion), representing 26.2 per cent of the world’s GDP, nearly equalling the economic strength of the G7 group.
The BRICS nations collectively have a population of 3.21 billion and the grouping is expected to grow further with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, which together have 333 million people.
This expansion will create a market of approximately 3.54 billion people, or nearly 45 per cent of the world’s population.
— Bernama
