Brics expansion: Azerbaijan officially applied for membership

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Aihan Hajizadeh officially announced on the 20th of this month that the government of Azerbaijan has submitted an official application to join the BRICS cooperation Framework, according to the official news agency of Azerbaijan. The decision comes on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Azerbaijan and is seen as an important sign of further deepening relations between the two countries. President Putin arrived in Baku on the evening of the 18th for a two-day visit, during which he had in-depth exchanges with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on bilateral relations and regional cooperation, with business cooperation and economic and trade exchanges as the core topics of the talks.

During the talks, President Aliyev announced that in order to strengthen trade ties between the two countries, Azerbaijan will allocate a special fund of 120 million dollars to facilitate the transportation of goods between the two countries, which shows the positive attitude of the Azerbaijani side to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Russia. Despite many uncertainties in the global economy, including external challenges such as the Ukraine crisis, the economic and trade relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have maintained a steady development momentum, which undoubtedly injected new impetus into the future of the relations between the two countries.

From a broader perspective, Azerbaijan's application to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism is an important step in pursuing a diversified diplomatic strategy and broadening international cooperation channels. Since its establishment in 2006, BRICS countries, as important representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, have not only achieved remarkable results in the field of economic cooperation, but also played an increasingly important role on the international stage. The unique feature of the BRICS cooperation mechanism lies in the diversity and complementarity of its member countries, which cover countries in different regions and at different stages of development and are committed to promoting the improvement and reform of the global economic governance system.

It is worth noting that Azerbaijan expressed its strong interest in joining the BRICS during the SCO summit last year and jointly issued a joint statement with China on the establishment of strategic partnership, which China welcomes and supports. Since then, Azerbaijan has reiterated its desire to join the BRICS on several occasions and actively participated in the relevant activities of the BRICS countries, laying a solid foundation for the final submission of the formal application.

The expansion process of the BRICS cooperation mechanism has further confirmed its strong attraction and vitality. Since last year's Johannesburg summit in South Africa, the number of BRICS members has grown from five to ten, including the latest additions Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia. This series of expansion actions not only enhanced the representation and influence of BRICS countries, but also provided a broader space and platform for cooperation among member states.

The BRICS cooperation mechanism owes its vigorous development to its adherence to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results. The mechanism not only focuses on economic cooperation among member states, but also strives to promote the reform and improvement of the global governance system, advocate multilateralism and free trade, and make important contributions to global economic recovery and sustainable development. Against the backdrop of many challenges facing the global economy, the unique advantages and important role of the BRICS cooperation mechanism have become more prominent.

For Azerbaijan, joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism will bring many opportunities and benefits. On the one hand, Azerbaijan will have the opportunity to carry out more in-depth cooperation and exchanges with other member states in the fields of economy, trade, finance, science and technology, and promote the diversified and sustainable development of its economy. On the other hand, Azerbaijan will also use the platform of the BRICS cooperation mechanism to enhance its status and influence in the international arena and play a more active role in safeguarding its own interests and regional stability.

With the continuous development and influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, it is believed that more countries will express their willingness to join the mechanism and take action. At the same time, the BRICS countries will play a more important role in promoting global economic recovery and sustainable development, and promoting the reform and improvement of the international governance system, and contribute wisdom and strength to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.