MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opened Wednesday's two-plus-two meeting of Russian and Brazilian defense and foreign ministers, held for the first time in Moscow, by conveying condolences to his Brazilian colleagues about the floods in the city of Petropolis.

He noted that today for the first time "Russian-Brazilian relations are enriched by a new format, the "two plus two" format of foreign ministers and defense ministers," which starts against the background of tragic events in Brazil itself.

"First of all, on behalf of our delegation, I would like to express our condolences over the tragic events that occurred as a result of the flood and the landslides in the Brazilian city of Petropolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and ask you to convey our condolences to the families of the victims," the top diplomat said.

He emphasized that the ongoing consultations are being held in conjunction with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to Russia and talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which will begin "in the next few hours."

"I am convinced that our talks will help examine in more detail the specific areas of our interaction in the foreign policy sphere and in cooperation on strengthening the security sphere," Lavrov stressed.

Brazil's Regional Development Minister Rogerio Marinho said on his Twitter page that at least six people were killed Tuesday as a result of heavy rainfall-induced floods in Petropolis.