Islamabad: The participation of Pakistan in a development dialogue held in China on June 24 was blocked by a member of BRICS, the foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Monday.
Read: China actively supports expansion of BRICS
In a statement, spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, while responding to media queries about a “High-level Dialogue on Global Development” held virtually on the sidelines of the BRICS meetings, said Pakistan congratulates China on the successful hosting of the BRICS meetings.
The spokesperson said that the development dialogue was held this year as a BRICS side event in which several developing/emerging economies were invited.
However, the spokesperson regretted that one member country blocked the participation of Pakistan.
At the same time, the spokesperson hoped that future engagement of the organization would be based on the principles of inclusivity, keeping in view the overall interests of the developing world and in a manner that is devoid of narrow geopolitical considerations.
Alluding to the strong relations between Pakistan and China, the statement said, “Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic partners, and our iron brotherhood remains rock solid. The two countries are fully committed to taking our all-around cooperation to higher levels both bilaterally and multilaterally.”
Read: CPEC & Iron-Clad Friendship of Pak and China | By Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
What is BRICS?
BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001, claiming that by 2050, the four BRIC economies would come to dominate the global economy. South Africa was added to the list in 2010.
