BOAO /China/, March 27. /TASS/. Russia regards BRICS as a platform for multisided cooperation with the participation of countries of the Global South and it is ready to ensure interdependence, which is required for successful joint development, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said.

"BRICS may virtually become a platform where countries of the Global South will be taking decisions, expressing their views," he said at the Boao Forum for Asia as he commented on the prospects of cooperation between members of the integration and other states. "And Russia’s presence in particular will ensure interdependence, which is necessary for our joint development relying on the principles of consensus and mutual respect," the official stressed.

BRICS has expanded this year, Overchuk noted. "The countries of the Global South joined in particular and a fairly high number of states has announced their wish to join it," he added.

Russia’s Deputy PM expressed confidence that BRICS will be playing "a particular role." "It is very important, and it was announced [at the forum] today that no one wants to be a leader, all want to be respectful to each other. This is an absolutely different pattern of international relations compared with the one that has been established in the world by now," he concluded.

The BRICS group, established in 2006, first expanded in 2011, when South Africa joined the four founding nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The decision to invite six more countries to join BRICS, including Argentina, was made at the group’s summit in Johannesburg in August 2023. However, Argentina declined the invitation to join in late December. Five new members (Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia) formally became full-fledged members of the BRICS group on January 1.

The Boao Forum, established by the Chinese government in 2001, has been held since 2002. The platform brings together about 30 nations from the Asia-Pacific region. This year’s forum themed "Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities" is taking place on March 26-29. The Russian side is represented by Overchuk, who is accompanied by Russian Ambassador to Beijing Igor Morgulov.