The Russian deputy prime minister said today, during a visit to Islamabad, that Moscow will support Pakistan's candidacy to join the BRICS bloc of emerging economies (an acronym for the five first members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
Pakistan submitted its application last year to join the alliance, whose stated aim is to amplify the voice of major emerging economies to counterbalance the Western-led global order.
Founded in 2006, the bloc initially included Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. It recently expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
"Of course we will support" Pakistan's bid to join the BRICS alliance, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said at a televised press conference alongside his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, who is also the country's foreign minister.
Dar and Overchuk said they also discussed ways to improve economic relations and bilateral trade, which reached the $1 billion mark last year.
In recent years, Pakistan has taken steps to strengthen trade relations with Russia.
The Russian leader also met Pakistan's powerful army chief of staff, General Asim Munir, today.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in prison, visited Moscow in February 2022 for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when a Russian invasion of Ukraine seemed imminent.
Since then, Pakistan has avoided condemning the Russian invasion, limiting itself to hoping for a resolution of the conflict through peace talks.
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