Russia says it supports Pakistan's bid to join BRICS

Russia has said it would support the inclusion of Pakistan in BRICS — an intergovernmental organisation comprising powerful global economies including Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa.

"We would be supportive of it," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on Thursday, in response to a question about Pakistan's request to become part of the grouping of the world's leading emerging market economies.

Overchuk is on a two-day visit to Islamabad and was addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.

Dar and Overchuk said they also discussed ways to improve economic ties and bilateral trade that touched the $1 billion mark last year.

Overchuk said that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government meeting in Islamabad next month, which he said would be important.

Also on Wednesday, Overchuk met with Pakistan's powerful army chief, General Asim Munir.

In recent years, Pakistan has taken steps to boost commercial relations with Russia.

Growing bloc

BRICS is named after Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The bloc was created in 2006 as BRIC, consisting of only Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2010, South Africa joined, changing the name to BRICS.

The bloc last year invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to become members, in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated.

Many countries have voiced their interest in joining BRICS, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, Bolivia, Kazakhstan and others.

Most of those countries view the bloc as an alternative to the other global bodies dominated by the West.