ISLAMABAD (AP) — Moscow will support Islamabad's bid to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, the Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday while visiting the Pakistani capital.

Pakistan applied last year for membership in the alliance that has a stated aim to amplify the voice of major emerging economies to counterbalance the Western-led global order. Founded in 2006, it included Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. Recently, it expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.

“Of course, we would be supportive” of Pakistan’s request to join the BRICS alliance, Alexei Overchuk said in a televised news conference, standing next to his counterpart Ishaq Dar, who is also the country’s Foreign Minister.

Dar and Overchuk said they also discussed ways to improve economic ties and bilateral trade that touched the $1 billion mark last year.

Also on Wednesday, Overchuk met with Pakistan's powerful army chief Gen. Asim Munir.

In recent years, Pakistan has taken steps to boost commercial relations with Russia.

Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Moscow in February 2022 to meet with President Vladimir Putin when the Russian invasion of Ukraine seemed imminent. Since then, Pakistan has avoided condemnation of the Russian invasion, though it wants the resolution of the conflict through peace talks.