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BRICS future does not depend on current situation - expert

BRICS is a fact of life, which does not depend either on any external or internal situations of present day, Viktoria Panova, an expert of the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs said

RIO DE JANEIRO, September 15. /TASS/. Members of the BRICS group (comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) show interest in further development of that bloc regardless of possible internal changes within the five nations or due to external factors, Viktoria Panova, an expert of the Russian Council on Foreign Affairs told TASS on Saturday.

"BRICS is a fact of life, which does not depend either on any external or internal situations of present day," she stressed after a meeting of the BRICS council of expert centers. According to the researcher, the partners are showing vivid interest in the contents of Russia’s presidency in BRICS prior to the upcoming summit in Brasilia in November.

"No one does even think that the process might be cut short," Panova said.

In this context, the expert noted the experts’ encouraging response to Russian proposals in the field of energy cooperation within BRICS. In particular, she meant the further development of BRICS’ energy research.

According to Panova, the experts agreed that the ability to "launch in a record time" the work of BRICS bank (the New Development Bank - TASS) also indicates the bloc’s efficiency.

"If we could not even think five or seven years ago that such a structure would be set up, now there are no more barriers [for BRICS]. BRICS is indeed capable of creating quickly and effectively the mechanisms that serve the interests of everyone," Panova concluded.

BRICS is an informal assembly of nations. The acronym of BRICS is derived from the first letters in the names of its member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). South Africa joined the bloc in 2011 when it was called BRIC. The bloc aims to develop comprehensive cooperation between its members and is not directed against any third party.

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