CAPE TOWN, June 1. /TASS/. BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) against the background of the West’s actions should seek joint responses to existing challenges, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the BRICS foreign ministers meeting on Thursday.

"Amid the West’s actions our countries should actively seek universal joint responses to challenges," the top Russian diplomat said. He noted that this is about such challenges as "attempts to undermine the foundations of collective, equal and indivisible security, regional conflicts, international terrorism and transnational crime."

"I am confident that under current conditions the role of BRICS in facilitating the resolution of global issues should only grow, especially since our alliance remains an example of genuine multilaterality," Lavrov said.

In order to "put an emphasis on multipolarity", he spoke Russian at the meeting as opposed to other participants who used English. In turn, China’s representative who spoke after the Russian diplomat, also chose to use his native language.