Azerbaijan has formally submitted an application to join BRICS, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The move signals a strategic effort by Baku to engage with a bloc that has expanded beyond its original group of rising economies, aiming to influence regional and global trade, finance, and diplomacy. This step arrives as BRICS continues to redefine its scope, increasingly speaking for a broader spectrum of developing economies and reshaping conversations around development finance, international collaboration, and multi-polar governance.
BRICS, founded in 2006 and originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has since welcomed additional members such as South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with discussions about expansion frequently in the spotlight. Azerbaijan’s application raises questions about how the bloc’s evolving membership could affect energy markets, regional stability, and links with corridors that connect Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Observers consider whether inclusion would provide new channels for investment, technology transfer, and policy coordination, while also examining how BRICS’s decision-making processes might adapt to accommodate a wider array of political systems and economic models. As this process unfolds, analysts emphasize the importance of consistent diplomacy, transparent criteria for admission, and clear expectations from newcomers regarding roles in BRICS initiatives, ranging from development banks and infrastructure projects to trade facilitation and digital economy cooperation.