India has expressed its support for Bolivia’s accession to BRICS, as confirmed by Indian Ambassador Vishvas Vidu Sapkal during a meeting with Bolivia’s Vice President David Choquehuanca, Prensa Latina reports.
After presenting his credentials, Ambassador Sapkal emphasised India’s backing of Bolivia’s bid to join the influential economic alliance, which now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia.
“We are committed to working together to strengthen our relations and carry out initiatives that benefit our peoples,” stated Vice President Choquehuanca.
It remains to be seen what impact India’s apparent backing of Bolivia will have on Sri Lanka’s efforts to join BRICS. Sri Lanka has said that it hopes to appeal to India to support its membership bid. However, analysts suggest that India may not view Sri Lanka’s BRICS membership as aligning with India’s strategic interests.
Indian officials have also reported that an influential regional neighbour is not in favour of its bid.
Both Choquehuanca and Sapkal highlighted the importance of fostering cultural exchange between Bolivia and India, agreeing to develop programmes and activities to enhance bilateral relations in this area.
Bolivia’s Foreign Minister, Celinda Sosa, recently engaged in discussions with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on April 26. During these talks, she reaffirmed Bolivia’s determination to join BRICS.
At a press conference with Lavrov, Sosa stated that Bolivia’s accession to BRICS would not only benefit her country but also represent a significant step for Latin America towards a new, fairer, and more equitable world order.
