Kazakhstan turns down BRICS membership offer

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has received an invitation to join BRICS, but the country has decided not to pursue membership in the near future.

“Kazakhstan currently, and likely in the foreseeable future, will refrain from joining BRICS, due to the multi-stage process of considering membership, as well as other issues regarding the organization's prospects,” the presidential advisor and press secretary Berik Uali stated.

The offer for membership was reviewed by President Tokayev through the lens of Kazakhstan’s national interests, Uali added. However, the president emphasized the importance of the United Nations as a "universal and irreplaceable platform where all pressing international issues can and should be discussed."

Despite this, Tokayev is closely monitoring the evolution of BRICS and plans to participate in the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia on October 24.

BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was established in 2006. The group has since expanded, with Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia joining it on January 2, 2024.