Uganda's admission as BRICS partner a key milestone: FM

KAMPALA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's admission as a BRICS partner state marks a significant milestone in the country's foreign relations and development aspirations, Foreign Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo has said.

In the remarks delivered Tuesday at the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Odongo said Uganda now joins a group of countries with shared goals as they pursue sustainable development.

"It is a great milestone for Uganda, which enjoys warm relations with the BRICS member states and partners, and has got a lot in common with them. Uganda is committed to making a great contribution to the goals of the BRICS," Odongo said.

"We thank the founding member states for opening up BRICS and allowing new members and partners to join the framework. This dynamism is a strong signal that BRICS is, and will continue to be, relevant and growing across the globe," the minister said.

Odongo described BRICS as a key voice for the Global South in an increasingly polarized world, where the role of multilateralism is under threat.

While the word faces immense socio-economic and geopolitical challenges, these challenges amplify the greater need for frameworks like BRICS to stand out firmly as the voice of the Global South, he said.

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Uganda officially became a BRICS partner state, along with eight other countries.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs John Mulimba earlier told Xinhua that joining BRICS offers a strategic opportunity to deepen ties with some of the world's largest emerging economies.

"BRICS offers a significant opportunity to learn from their technological advancements and innovations, including the use of information and communications technology as a tool for societal transformation," Mulimba said.

BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents a bloc of major emerging markets with significant economic potential. Since its inaugural summit in 2009, the bloc has expanded its membership. In Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa are currently the only full members. Enditem