PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is free to cooperate with all countries, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said Malaysia was among the countries given priority to join the intergovernmental organisation BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) membership or partnership.

Earlier, Anwar accepted a personal invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in the group’s upcoming Summit in October.

Initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies, with South Africa joining the bloc in 2010.

The bloc has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as new members during the bloc's summit in August last year.

The international organisation now contributes to a quarter of the global economy, accounts for one-fifth of global trade and represents about 40% of the world’s population.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/05/malaysia-free-to-cooperate-with-all-countries-says-anwar