BAKU. Sept 17 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan is interested in interacting with BRICS members and has therefore applied to join the group, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said.
"Our country filed a formal request for BRICS membership with the group president on April 2 this year. Besides Azerbaijan, more than 30 countries have applied for accession. On the whole, the presence of states from various geographic regions, which have a substantial weight in the global economy, in this organization demonstrates an increasing interest in it, and Azerbaijan is one of the interested parties," Hajizada said in an interview with the Azerbaijani news agency Report.
BRICS is an international intergovernmental platform which has functioned for around 18 years, Hajizada said. "BRICS encompasses over 30% of the territory, about 43% of the population and 26% of the world's GDP. Member states possess vast natural resources, large domestic markets and workforce reserves, while some have high-tech industries," he said.
Cooperation in BRICS is based on non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, Hajizada said. "BRICS documents express the intention to work together for the sake of world peace and security based on the principles of states' sovereign equality and non-interference in each other's affairs, respect for territorial integrity, and the norms and principles of international law," he said.
"As a reliable regional partner, Azerbaijan continues to contribute to international and regional peace and security, and develop cooperation towards strengthening the supremacy of international law. Our cooperation on numerous international multilateral platforms is being developed and enhanced for that purpose," Hajizada said.