KAZAN, Russia, October 24. Belarus is ready to become an active member of BRICS, the country's President Alexander Lukashenko said at the first plenary session of the XVI BRICS Plus summit in Russia's Kazan today, Trend reports.

Authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko expected to extend his term through election opposition call a "farce".View on euronews

Belarus will hold a presidential election on January 26, four and a half years after widespread allegations of vote rigging in the last ballot led to nationwide mass protests.

Belarus will hold its next presidential election on 26 January, according to the country's Central Election Commission. This will be the first presidential vote since the contested 2020 election, which faced widespread allegations of fraud and sparked mass protests.

Belarus has scheduled its next presidential election for January 26, 2025, the country’s Central Electoral Commission announced on Oct. 23. Incumbent Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is widely expected to hold on to power following the election's result.