Serbia is considering joining BRICS as an alternative to EU accession, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin told a German newspaper.
"Serbia will definitely be represented [at the BRICS Summit] in Kazan. It would be irresponsible not to study all the options, including BRICS membership. If BRIC membership is attractive for other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, why then for Serbia the situation should be different? Therefore, there are no doubts that joining BRICS has become a real alternative to the EU," Vulin said in an interview.
Earlier, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that 32 countries had confirmed their plans to attend the summit in Kazan, while the number of nations willing to affiliate themselves with BRICS was growing. Ushakov said 34 countries were studying various forms of cooperation with BRICS.
The BRICS summit in the city of Kazan will be the largest foreign policy event ever held in Russia, Ushakov added.