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Russia begins consultations with new BRICS members — senior diplomat

According to Mikhail Bogdanov, the new members of the bloc will have to be "familiarized more substantially and deeply with how things are done within BRICS"

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Russia has already started consultations with the new members of BRICS (Argentina, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia) ahead of their becoming full-fledged participants on January 1, 2024, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told TASS.

"Of course, it is already necessary to hold in-depth consultations. Such work has already begun. But from January 1, it will be more substantive," the senior diplomat said.

According to Bogdanov, the new members of the bloc will have to be "familiarized more substantially and deeply with how things are done within BRICS." The diplomat specified that when planning the summit of the association, which will be held in Kazan in October 2024, Moscow will see to it that "the new members not only join, but also work collectively for the sake of their own national interests and, of course, for the sake of common objectives."

"Such powerful countries as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others can make a real, large contribution to common financial activity to their own advantage," the deputy foreign minister pointed out.

He also noted that Russia plans to hold about 200 events during its BRICS presidency. "These are parliamentary events, sports and youth events. On various trajectories," Bogdanov added.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would be establishing contact with the six new members of the association in advance, without waiting for January 1, 2024 to come, when Russia's BRICS chairmanship officially begins. All members of the organization need to be fully immersed in the subject matter by the time the next summit takes place in Kazan, the top diplomat stressed.

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Foreign policy BRICS

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