Laos has officially expressed its interest in joining the BRICS alliance. Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said on Friday that it’s in the country’s best interest to be a part of the bloc. “We are interested in becoming a member of BRICS. At present, we are in the process of studying this issue,” he said during the Russia-Laos business dialogue at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
Siphandone highlighted the growing importance of BRICS and how Laos could benefit from joining the bloc. He noted that the entire Global South region is learning to become independent by getting away from the clutches of the US dollar. The move seemed to be impossible until a decade ago, but the alliance has made it possible. Laos is located in Southeast Asia and is bordered by Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
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The Prime Minister’s statement urging Laos to join BRICS comes after he met with Vladimir Putin at the EEF forum. “First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for inviting me to participate in the tenth Eastern Economic Forum. It is a great honour for me to visit Russia again after almost 38 years,” he said.
Will BRICS Accept Laos Into the Alliance?
Laos is among the 45 other countries that have expressed their interest in joining the BRICS alliance. Among those, 23 countries have officially submitted their applications to be a part of the bloc. The other 22 nations have only expressed their intent to join but have not submitted their applications.
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Whether BRICS will induct Laos into the alliance will be known by the year’s end. The bloc had inducted four new countries in October 2023 and were onboarded in January 2024. If there’s an expansion, it will most likely be completed by October this year. However, there are no official details on whether BRICS will expand this year.