BRASILIA, April 17. /TASS/. Brazil being mentioned separately in Russia’s updated Foreign Policy Concept is a testament to the mature nature of relations between the two countries, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said in an interview with TASS ahead of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Brasilia.

"The fact that the 2023 document mentions Brazil separately and not as a member of MERCOSUR and BRICS, as it was in the 2016 concept, shows the gravitas of our country, particularly following President Lula’s election and our course aimed at bringing Brazil’s foreign policy back to its roots. In fact, both our countries play important roles in international communication. Besides, this aspect of Russia’s understanding of foreign policy priorities indicates the mature nature of bilateral relations and makes it clear that like Brazil, Russia also believes that bilateral ties are crucial for the system of international relations," the diplomat noted.

He pointed out that Brazil’s Foreign Ministry also worked on developing such documents together with officials from other government agencies and members of the public.

On March 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the country’s updated Foreign Policy Concept, replacing a document that had been in place since 2016. The concept highlights Russia’s unique role as a country-civilization and a vast Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power, its resolve to use all available means to protect its right to exist and develop freely in the face of the West’s unfriendly actions, as well as its desire to establish a multipolar world order. The document describes the activities of the United States and its allies as a hybrid war against Russia and declares Moscow’s intention to turn Eurasia into a space of peace, mutual trust and stability as part of its flagship project for this century. Brazil is named among Russia’s priority partners in Latin America along with Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.