Moscow: The number of countries wishing to join the BRICS group of countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has witnessed a sharp increase in recent years, currently reaching up to 20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
“It is indicative that just in the last couple of years, including the past first year of the special military operation, the number of countries that want to join BRICS, the SCO, has increased significantly, there are now about two dozen of them,” Lavrov said at a meeting with the heads of regional offices of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The minister added that the countries in question play prominent roles in their regions.
“This includes Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Argentina, Mexico, and a number of African countries. So just listing the names of these countries already shows the failure of attempts to isolate our country,” Lavrov said.
After Russia started its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the world has split into those who support Moscow and accuse NATO of provoking the conflict, and those who condemn Russia’s actions and impose sanctions on the country, while also ramping up their financial and military aid to Kiev. Some countries have also taken a neutral position on the issue.
