Pakistan Dealt a Blow: BRICS Membership Off the Table, Excluded from Partner Countries List After India’s Opposition

Pakistan's BRICS membership dream has come crumbling down. China and Russia were supportive of Pakistan's bid, yet Pakistan could neither find a position among the new member nations nor managed to get in the list of 13 newly designated partner countries. On the other hand, Türkiye was successful in becoming a BRICS partner country and enjoyed significant diplomatic benefits from the new status.

How Türkiye Succeeded

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had previously taken strong positions on issues such as Kashmir but has been notable for changing the tone, which is now easing tensions with India. This diplomatic realignment is thought to have made all the difference in opening doors for Türkiye's inclusion into the BRICS partner countries list. Analysts point out that strategic flexibility can be a game-changer in multinational forums, and Türkiye's success perfectly illustrates this principle.

New Partner Countries Announced

Russia recently unveiled a list of 13 countries that will become partner nations of BRICS from January 1, 2025. They are:

Algeria
Belarus
Bolivia
Cuba
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Malaysia
Thailand
Türkiye
Uganda
Nigeria
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

Pakistan, which was lobbying for inclusion in the same list, failed to make the cut.

India's Firm Stand

In BRICS, any new member or partner countries require the unanimous consent of the founding member nations. India opposed Pakistan's membership very strongly because of continued geopolitical and regional tensions and therefore closed the door to Pakistan. This stance has held firm even when China and Russia have been trying to open the door for Pakistan.

Criticism Within Pakistan

Pakistan's failure to get included in the list of partner countries has received much criticism back home. Foreign affairs expert Marianna Babar termed it a "complete failure" of Pakistan's foreign ministry. She further noted that countries like Nigeria outperformed Pakistan, gaining acceptance as BRICS partner countries.