DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Bangladesh has sought Russia’s support for joining BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), as the two countries discussed strengthening cooperation among Global South nations in international forums, including the United Nations.

The requests were made during a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow yesterday.

“Russian Foreign Minister replied positively,” the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, referring to the membership requests.

BRICS -- originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- is an intergovernmental grouping serving as a political, economic and diplomatic platform aimed at increasing the influence of the Global South in international governance.

The bloc expanded in 2023 with the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Bangladesh also applied for membership that year but could not secure sufficient support.

The 10-member SCO is a major Eurasian political, economic and security alliance. It was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan