Island nation Cuba has officially applied to join the BRICS alliance, and the expression of interest comes weeks before the 2026 summit. The 18th summit is scheduled to be held on September 12 and 13 in India’s capital, New Delhi. Dignitaries from around the world are set to attend the summit that can redraw trade and cross-border transactions.
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BRICS 2026 Summit: Cuba Aims For Membership in the Alliance
Being part of BRICS is a top priority for Cuba, said a diplomat who is overseeing the process. He said that the island nation is committed to full-fledged membership and not a partner country. The application comes as the US has tightened its sanctions, enforcing a comprehensive trade embargo and strict economic restrictions preventing it from initiating exports and imports.
Joining the BRICS alliance can ease Cuba’s financial tribulations and get its economy up and running. Trade deals with China, Russia, India, and the UAE, among other members, can strengthen its GDP. The bloc also trades in local currency, and this could lift the Cuban peso. Several countries want to gain BRICS membership in an effort to uplift their nation’s economy.
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“Cuba remains committed to plans to become a full-fledged member of BRICS. This is a top priority for our country, especially in these difficult times, amid the unprecedented escalation of the US economic war against Cuba and its non-stop threats to use force to destroy the Cuban Revolution,” the Cuban Embassy told the Izvestia daily. Whether BRICS will approve Cuba’s application, the upcoming summit will decide.
“The new phase of economic opening initiated in Cuba should contribute positively to the expansion of ties with BRICS, as it broadens the country’s capabilities in foreign economic relations, creates more opportunities for foreign investment, and enables greater synergy with the economic and financial institutions of BRICS member countries,” read the statement.