MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. Russia plans to organize and hold around 200 events, including about 10 at the ministerial level, in 2024 during its tenure as rotating chairman of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) intergovernmental organization, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"Russia assumes the BRICS chairmanship on January 1," Lavrov said. "We have already scheduled up to 200 events, including 10 at the ministerial level or maybe more," Lavrov said.

"A meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers is scheduled to be held in summer… in the city of Nizhny Novgorod," he continued.

According to Lavrov, the BRICS format is one of the supporting pillars of the emerging multipolar world order.

"We will be facilitating the smooth integration of BRICS’ newest members within the operational structures of the organization and expect to approach the BRICS summit in Kazan next October with a full slate of solid decisions in the political, security, financial, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres," the Russian foreign minister added.

The 15th BRICS Summit was held on August 22-24 in Johannesburg under the rotating chairmanship of South Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced at a post-summit news conference that Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would join BRICS on January 1, 2024.

An updated list of candidate countries for BRICS membership will be prepared for consideration at the group’s next annual summit, which will take place next year in Kazan in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan under Russia’s one-year rotating chairmanship.