Russia has welcomed Algeria’s intention to joining the BRICS group, special envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, said yesterday.

Algerian officials on Monday filed a formal application to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) – an association that aims to promote peace, security, development and cooperation between the countries in the alliance.

“We enjoy good relations with Algeria and maintain a trust-based dialogue,” Bogdanov told Russia Today (RT), noting that the issue wss being mulled “within the framework of the collective work in BRICS.”

He added that Moscow welcomed what he described as the “aspiration of our friends, partners and like-minded parties to join the work within such formats as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as well as other formats, where we actively work.”

The Russian official pointed out that Moscow had recently invited the Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to visit before the end of this year.

Source: Middle East Monitor