Vietnam is made official as the new BRICS partner

BRICS’s number of partners has increased by the inclusion of Vietnam. The Asian country adds to Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan in this condition. The announcement was made by the Brazilian presidency of the bloc on Friday (13).

The group, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (which name the acronym), already has 11 member countries after the inclusion of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.

The temporary presidency, occupied by Brazil this year, greeted the entry of Vietnamese: “With a population of almost 100 million inhabitants and a dynamic economy strongly integrated with global value chains, Vietnam stands out as a relevant actor in Asia. The country shares with BRICS members and partners a commitment to a more inclusive and representative international order. Its performance for south-south cooperation and sustainable development reinforces convergence with the interests of grouping.”

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The creation of the category of partner country took place in 2024 during the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan, in the Republic of Tartarist, a member of the Russian Federation. As a partner of the bloc, Vietnam now has a presence in the domes, forums and meetings of group ministers, as well as can sign documents and joint statements.

In March this year, President Lula was in Vietnam, where he met President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. At the time, agreements were signed and the Brazil – Vietnam Joint Action Plan 2025–2030. The opportunity also served for Brazil and Vietnam to advance towards the partnership with BRICS.

Brics

By considering only the 11 member countries, BRICS represents 39% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2023 and comprises about 48.5% of the world’s population and 24% of international trade.

In addition, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the group also brings together 72% of rare land mineral reserves, 43.6% of world oil production, 36% of world natural gas production and 78.2% of global coal production.

Regarding Brazil, the trade current with the block was US $ 210 billion by 2024, representing 35% of the total. The group is still a destination of US $ 121 billion of Brazilian exports (36% of the total exported by Brazil) in 2024, and its origin of US $ 88 billion of Brazilian imports (34% of the total imported).

The next BRICS summit will be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6 and 7, with member countries and partners, in which Vietnam will already be present.