Abdul Hadi Mayar Islamabad
As the BRICS Summit is underway in the Russian city of Kazan, spokesperson of the Russian embassy in Islamabad has welcomed Pakistan’s bid to join the group, reiterating his country’s support at the event.
“As the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk explicitly stated during his recent visit to Islamabad, Russia welcomes Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS,” Igor Kolesnikov, Press Attaché of the Russian Embassy in Islamabad, told Pakistan Observer on Wednesday.
In his latest visit to Islamabad, Overchuk had announced that Russia will present the proposal of Pakistan’s membership in this summit.
“The BRICS family of nations remains open to all like-minded countries that are ready to cooperate on an equal footing in a spirit of mutual respect,” Kolesnikov said.
However, as previously expressed by the Russian leadership, the spokesperson said, “in order for Pakistan to join BRICS, it should secure the support of all BRICS members, as all decisions within the organization are taken by consensus.”
Asked how important did Russia view Pakistan’s membership in BRICS, Kolesnikov asserted that ‘Pakistan has a favorable geographical location at the crossroads of land and sea routes in South and Central Asia.’
“As a result, Pakistan has great transit potential that can be used to significantly improve connectivity in Eurasia.”
He maintained that ‘harnessing Pakistan’s potential is critical to expanding the geography of freight transport along the international North-South transport corridor, which will benefit the growing markets of the Global South.’
