Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Turkey’s NATO membership does not prevent its potential entry into BRICS but emphasized that member countries must share common values, citing concerns about Ukraine, Deutsche Welle’s Turkish service reported, citing the Russian RBC news website.
Lavrov made the remarks during an interview with RBC on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He said while BRICS does not prohibit relations with other organizations like NATO, countries joining the bloc should align with principles based on United Nations values, contrasting them with those of the European Union, which he accused of supporting “Nazi practices” in Ukraine.
Lavrov reiterated that Turkey’s close relations with Russia and participation in NATO were not obstacles to BRICS membership. However, he pointed out that Ukraine’s policies on language, culture and religious institutions contradict BRICS’ values. Lavrov also addressed Turkey’s candidacy for the European Union, noting that EU officials have suggested joining BRICS could conflict with Turkey’s EU aspirations.
Russia, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year, will host a BRICS summit October 22-24 in Kazan, where the expansion of the group is expected to be a major topic of discussion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reportedly accepted an invitation to attend the upcoming summit.
BRICS member countries represent a substantial portion of the global economy. With a combined population of 3.5 billion — about 45 percent of the world’s total — the BRICS nations account for roughly 28 percent of global economic output. BRICS countries also produce nearly 44 percent of the world’s crude oil.
Founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was originally known as BRIC until the inclusion of South Africa in 2011. The group has sought to increase the influence of developing nations in global affairs, and in 2014 it established the New Development Bank to fund infrastructure projects in member countries.
NATO member Turkey has sought to balance ties between its two Black Sea neighbors, Russia and Ukraine, since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ankara has sent drones to Ukraine while not adhering to Western-led sanctions on Moscow.