Hanoi, June 14 (Reporter) Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a partner country, according to a statement from Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs — the BRICS chair for 2025. After expressing its desire to becoming a member of the powerful global body for some time, Vietnam has now become the 10th BRICS partner, aligning itself with the bloc’s vision of a more inclusive and representative international order, reports Sputnik. "With a population of nearly 100 million and a dynamic economy deeply integrated into global value chains, Vietnam is an important player in Asia," the ministry’s statement said. Vietnam in recent years has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world and one of the strongest in South East Asia, having become one of the major destinations alongside India, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia, for investors looking to shift manufacturing from China. The partner country category was created at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. The current list of partners include: Vietnam, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan. While partner nations are not members of the bloc, it offers the option of more flexible association, as partner nations can collaborate with BRICS nations in meetings, and engage in proposed development projects. The status also opens the door to closer ties with the bloc’s institutions, including the New Development Bank, which offers infrastructure financing to developing economies. Hanoi has yet to release a formal statement on the admission, which follows a period of deeper engagement between the Southeast Asian country and BRICS, as per South China Morning Post. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the expanded BRICS+ summit in Kazan in October 2024, and Vietnamese delegations have taken part in related dialogues, including a June 2024 meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, focused on cooperation with developing countries. The bloc, which was formed by the world’s five biggest leading economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – has emerged as a major alternative to West dominated blocs such as the G7, and promote de-dollarisation of global economy for other viable options and reduce Western hegemony...////...