Thailand joins BRICS Plus Summit in Russia, aims to boost ties
Thailand will participate in the 4th BRICS Plus Summit in Russia, with Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa representing the country instead of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as announced yesterday, October 17.
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nikorn Balankura confirmed that Thailand will join the meeting, scheduled from October 22 to 24 in Kazan, Tatarstan, upon the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 4th BRICS Plus Summit will include the founding members of the bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—along with new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Putin has also extended invitations to over two dozen other countries interested in joining the group, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan.
This year’s meeting theme is BRICS and the Global South: Building a Better World Together, Nikorn stated, adding that Thailand submitted its BRICS membership application in June.
“This meeting will be a good opportunity for Thailand to reiterate its aspirations to elevate its relationship with BRICS.”
Russia aims to persuade BRICS countries to develop an alternative platform for international payments resilient to Western sanctions. Putin intends to strengthen Brics as a significant counterbalance to Western influence in global politics and trade.
The proposal for a new payment system will be presented, based on a network of commercial banks linked through the BRICS central banks, as per a document prepared by Russia’s finance ministry and central bank and distributed to journalists ahead of the summit.
This system would employ blockchain technology to store and transfer digital tokens backed by national currencies, enabling secure and straightforward currency exchanges without relying on the dollar, reported Bangkok Post.
