JOHANNESBURG /South Africa/, August 24. /TASS/. The criteria for discussing the expansion of BRICS include the authority and position of a given applicant country in the global arena, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters.

"Of course, we took into account the criteria and procedures approved for the partner countries. But, first of all, the weight, authority, importance of this or that candidate country for membership and, of course, its position in the international arena were taken into account. Because everyone is in favor of adding like-minded people to our ranks," he said.

Lavrov explained that the like-minded countries include countries that believe in multipolarity, the need for more democratic and fairer international relations, and insist on increasing the role of the Global South in the mechanisms of global governance. "In this regard, the six countries whose names were announced today <...> fully meet these criteria," the top Russian diplomat said.