As BRICS continues expanding its global footprint, Brazil, serving as the current chair of the group, announced on June 13 that Vietnam has officially joined as the 10th partner country. This development marks another step in the bloc’s efforts to deepen ties with strategically aligned nations across the Global South. The partner-country framework, introduced at the 16th BRICS summit held in Kazan in October 2024, is designed to allow closer coordination with countries that support the group’s vision but are not full members.