UFA, July 9. /TASS/. The BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has become a new center of the multipolar world and the new system of international relations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.
"Already now, before holding the leaders’ meeting, I can say that [during Russia’s presidency] BRICS will make a huge step forward not only in its own development but as a factor that influences directly the international environment," he stressed.
"BRICS is in fact an already established new center of the multipolar world and the new and more democratic system of international relations," Ryabkov said.
"BRICS is a phenomenon of the 21st century and here is its difference from military and political unions that come from another epoch and alliances of states built under a hierarchism principle," the diplomat said.
BRICS is "moving forward" and during Russia’s presidency in the group a significant package of documents and agreements has been created that will be unveiled already on Thursday, he said.
Leaders of Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa are due to take part in a BRICS summit in Ufa, the capital of Russia's Volga republic of Bashkiria, on Thursday. The summit’s key topic is "BRICS Partnership — a Powerful Factor in Global Development," Russian president’s aide Yury Ushakov earlier told journalists.