At a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday, Ms. Hang responded to a question about the possibility of Vietnam joining BRICS this year.

“Vietnam is a responsible and active member of the international community that follows a foreign policy of multilateralism, diversification, independence, and self-reliance. Vietnam is always ready to participate in and contribute actively to global and regional multilateral mechanisms, organizations, and forums,” she said.

Since the beginning of the year, BRICS has admitted a number of new members. Vietnam was one of 71 countries invited to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, which took place last August in South Africa.