Vietnam Officially Joins BRICS as a 'Partner Country'

In a significant development for international diplomacy and economic cooperation, Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a 'partner country', according to an announcement by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry.

Describing Vietnam as a “dynamic economy deeply integrated into global value chains,” the ministry emphasized the country's growing influence in the Asian region and its strategic importance in global trade and production networks.

Note: Global value chains refer to the full range of activities that firms and workers perform to bring a product from its conception to end use and beyond—often spanning multiple countries.

Vietnam Becomes 10th Official Partner

According to a report by Russian news agency Sputnik, Vietnam’s inclusion follows its formal expression of interest to join the BRICS framework. With this development, Vietnam becomes the 10th country to be granted ‘partner country’ status under the BRICS structure.

This partner country category is a newly created tier within BRICS, established during the 2024 BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia. The category aims to provide countries with an opportunity to collaborate closely with BRICS nations without being full members.

BRICS originally refers to a grouping of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group works together on issues of global development, trade, and financial cooperation.

Expanding Global Influence: New BRICS Partner List

With Vietnam's inclusion, the BRICS partner country list now includes:

• Vietnam

• Belarus

• Bolivia

• Kazakhstan

• Cuba

• Malaysia

• Nigeria

• Thailand

• Uganda

• Uzbekistan

This expansion reflects BRICS’ growing ambition to reshape global economic governance by involving more developing and emerging nations in its dialogue and decision-making processes. It also signals a more inclusive approach, especially toward countries that are strategically positioned in key geopolitical and economic regions.

Vietnam’s new role as a BRICS partner is expected to open up avenues for greater economic cooperation, political dialogue, and development-oriented collaboration, not only with the five founding BRICS nations but also with fellow partner countries. The move underscores BRICS’ evolving identity as a multilateral platform with global aspirations.