Thailand, Sri Lanka, Turkey Set Sights on BRICS Membership
The once compact BRICS coalition of major emerging economies is receiving offers of membership from a number of nations, the latest to officially apply being Thailand, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
The next BRICS summit in Kazan will be held in October, but interest in joining the influential grouping is rising day by day. Among the already stated 40 countries expressing the desire to become members, three other relevant nations have now publicly voiced aspirations to be part of the bloc. Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Turkey have all recently announced their intentions to seek BRICS membership, potentially marking a significant expansion of the once-compact alliance of major emerging economies.
Thailand's Cabinet has formally approved a draft letter of intent to join BRICS, signaling the Southeast Asian nation's seriousness about becoming the first new member from its region. During a meeting on May 28th, ministers concluded that accession would raise Thailand's international profile by strengthening cooperation with developing countries, allowing it to play a more prominent role globally.
Bangkok has long sought closer ties with BRICS, participating regularly in the bloc's outreach summits. Thai officials assert the move isn't a foreign policy shift, as the kingdom maintains strategic partnerships with the U.S. and U.K. Rather, they view BRICS membership as recognizing a multipolar world's realities while remaining neutral amid major power rivalries.
"For Thailand, building relations with BRICS countries in the face of global trends such as trade wars will be beneficial," said Jiraporn Ruamp, a Thai political scientist and Russia expert. "The government is considering joining to strengthen our leadership role among developing nations."
Sri Lanka has also voiced aspirations to join BRICS. On May 21st, Foreign Minister Ali Sabri stated the island nation would primarily discuss membership with India, a BRICS founding member. Sabri revealed he had received an invitation to attend an upcoming BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Russia.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Turkey, a NATO member long seeking European Union accession, has thrown its hat into the BRICS ring. During a June 4th visit to China, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Ankara's desire to join the bloc, citing some European states' opposition to its EU bid as a motivating factor.
"We see potential in BRICS," Fidan said. "Turkey cannot ignore that BRICS offers some countries a good alternative platform for cooperation."
Turkey's potential accession would be particularly convoluted, given its deep economic and defense ties with both Russia and Western nations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first mooted BRICS membership in 2018, but the idea gained little traction until now.
For Ankara, joining BRICS could represent a hedge against stalled EU aspirations while strengthening relations with Moscow and Beijing. However, such a move risks further straining Turkey's already frayed bonds with its NATO allies.
As the once-compact BRICS coalition eyes enlargement, admitting countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Turkey would significantly expand its global reach and clout. Yet it also risks diluting the bloc's strategic coherence and heightening tensions with the West.
The founding members of BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—have taken the initiative to proceed with a second enlargement (after South Africa's 2010 entry), given the mounting interest over the years in the project of a new multipolar world balance. At the most recent BRICS summit, held in Johannesburg in August 2023, the bloc extended an invitation to Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia to consider joining. However, Argentina respectfully declined the invitation after the election of a new president, Mr. Milei, whose administration has taken a more cautious approach to BRICS membership. This decision by Argentina highlights the intricate geopolitical considerations involved in any expansion decision. BRICS leaders will carefully examine the merits and potential pitfalls of the upcoming membership applications of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, which require the consent of all current members for the admission of new nations.
Regardless, the very interest from countries spanning Asia, the Middle East, and beyond underscores BRICS' rising prestige as a counterweight to Western-dominated institutions. As the world's economic and political terrain evolves, the bloc's influence seems poised to grow – whether through calculated enlargement or the sheer gravitational pull it exerts on emerging powers.