Welcoming Turkey's Interest In Joining BRICS, Kremlin: Important Partners

The leaders of BRICS member countries and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave a press statement. (Twitter/@BRICSza)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow welcomed Turkey's desire to join the BRICS and plans to be discussed at the summit of the group.

"We all clearly welcome the increased interest in BRICS from our neighboring countries, including important partners like Turkey," Peskov said as quoted by TASS June 5.

"Obviously, the issue of interest will become the agenda of the BRICS Summit, which will be chaired by Russia and which we will actively prepare," he continued.

Peskov further said the organization could hardly fully satisfy the interest of all countries wishing to join.

"However, BRICS is interested in maintaining contact with all interested countries, with various formats to stay in touch that are being designed to do so. This is a long process. But we welcome such great interest," Peskov said.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara wanted to join the BRICS, adding the matter would be discussed at the group's ministerial meeting at Nizhny Novgorod.

Several European countries oppose Turkey joining the European Union, so the country's authorities consider BRICS as an alternative integration platform, he said.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Fidan began a visit to Beijing, a top-level visit by Turkish officials to China, a member of BRICS since 2012, to meet his team Wang Yi.

BRICS currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

When asked if Turkey wanted to join BRICS, Foreign Minister Fidan said "of course we want, why not?". However, he did not explain further.

Nizhny Novgorod, the sixth largest city in Russia, will host a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on June 10-11.