MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. Russia, as the chairman of BRICS, will continue to deepen pragmatic, open and transparent dialogue in the association, as well as cooperation based on a sense of friendship, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
"Interaction in this association <…> allows us to develop consistent, active, pragmatic, open and transparent dialogue and cooperation - and here I quote the document of the first summit of the association - in order to build "a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity." Guided by the principle of continuity so typical of BRICS, we will continue and deepen this work," the deputy minister noted.
Ryabkov was speaking at the event "Maslenitsa: Dialogue of Civilizations" at the Historical Museum in Moscow, which was attended by diplomats of the BRICS states.
He recalled that the motto of the Russian chairmanship is to strengthen multilateralism for equitable development and security and "fully reflects the common desire of the BRICS countries to create and maintain favorable conditions for sustainable growth, to build up the socio-economic, innovative and human potential" of the member countries.
The BRICS group initially included Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the association in 2011. On January 1, 2024, new members Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia formally joined BRICS.