Azerbaijan Formally Applies to Join BRICS, Foreign Ministry Says

Azerbaijan has formally applied to become a member of BRICS, a group of emerging-market nations led by China and Russia, Ayxan Hacizada, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Baku, said by phone on Tuesday.

Azerbaijan is the latest applicant to the BRICS — a club that for years consisted of just five members and expanded with the inclusion of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Egypt this January.