South African Ambassador Anil Sooklal confirmed that Pakistan has formally sent its application to join the BRICS alliance. Pakistan is taking the help of Russia to be inducted into BRICS and the move is angering India. BRICS member India is unhappy that Russia is cementing ties with Pakistan and initiating trade deals using local currencies. Russia is actively supporting India’s rival Pakistan and started a series of direct flights from Islamabad to Moscow.
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Pakistan also purchased 45,000 tonnes of crude oil from Russia recently and the transaction was settled in the Chinese Yuan and not the US dollar. India doubts that China and Russia are using BRICS as a stepping stone to strengthen their local economies. Previously, India has shown displeasure in using the Chinese Yuan for payments and wants the US dollar to be used for settlements.
BRICS: India Remains Unclear About Pakistan’s Entry Into the Alliance
While India has expressed its interest in BRICS expansion, its position about Pakistan joining the bloc remains unclear. The Modi-led government has not commented on Pakistan’s bid to join the BRICS alliance. The tension between India and Pakistan is complex and the Modi-led government will not want to share the same stage with Pakistan.
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The BRICS expansion will soon become complex and India could be opposed to Pakistan’s entry into the group. India could significantly be impacted if Pakistan is inducted into the alliance making the group an uncomfortable place to decide geopolitical affairs. Therefore, as of now, India’s stance remains unclear about Pakistan’s prospects in BRICS.
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The 16th summit will be held in August 2024 in Russia and a new round of expansion could be announced. Read here to know how many sectors in the US will be affected if BRICS stops using the dollar. The alliance will soon turn into BRICS Plus as many more countries are interested in entering the group.