Kazakhstan has no immediate plans to join BRICS, despite having received offers to do so, according to Berik Uali, the advisor and press secretary to the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Speaking to TengriNews, Uali emphasised that Kazakhstan is unlikely to submit an application for BRICS membership, citing the complex and multi-tiered process involved in evaluating such a move, as well as various factors related to the bloc’s development prospects.
“At present, and likely for the foreseeable future, Kazakhstan will refrain from applying for BRICS membership. This decision is influenced by the lengthy process of reviewing membership applications, along with other aspects concerning the organisation’s future direction,” Uali stated.
Uali noted that President Tokayev had considered the offers from the perspective of Kazakhstan’s national interests. However, he has chosen to prioritise engagement with the United Nations, which he views as a more universal and irreplaceable organisation for addressing key global issues.
“For now, the UN remains the platform where Kazakhstan believes all pressing international challenges should be discussed,” Uali added.
Tokayev is also advocating for reforms within the UN Security Council, a stance he believes aligns with the interests of “middle powers” like Kazakhstan. He has previously expressed concerns that the current configuration of the Security Council has lost its ability to make crucial and decisive actions. According to Uali, any such reform should be conducted through extensive consultations with UN member states.
BRICS Observations
Although Kazakhstan has decided not to pursue BRICS membership at this stage, Tokayev remains attentive to the organisation’s developments. He plans to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia, where he is expected to participate in an outreach session on 24 October. The summit, which is being held in Kazan, will focus on strengthening cooperation with the Global South.
The Kazan summit, set to begin on 22 October, marks the 16th gathering of BRICS leaders. For the first time, the summit will include countries that have recently joined the expanded version of the group. This year, four new countries — Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia — have been added to the core BRICS membership, which previously consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Saudi Arabia, however, has yet to clarify its position within the bloc. The kingdom’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, declined an invitation to the summit, and instead, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will attend on his behalf.
High-Level Attendance
A total of 38 countries have been invited to the summit, and by mid-October, 33 of them had confirmed their participation, with 24 nations represented by heads of state. Among the key attendees will be Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Additionally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Zhang Ming, and the heads of several other international organisations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), are also expected to take part. Dilma Rousseff, the President of the New Development Bank, will also be in attendance.
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Kazakhstan Strengthens Role as a Key Partner for the European Union in Central Asia
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