MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/. The West will not be able to discredit BRICS and sow discord between its member states, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated at a meeting of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy and Media Relations.

"Attempts by Western countries to discredit BRICS in the information field and within the framework of diplomatic work behind closed doors have not stopped, and will persist," he said. "Such attempts to sow discord between its member states will continue. But objectively, these efforts <...> often have the exact opposite effect: even more countries are looking for an alternative neo-colonial paradigm of development and for their own path, which brings these states closer to BRICS."

The Russian deputy foreign minister drew attention to the fact that "the old model of development, based on the dominance of a small group of Western countries and the maintenance of their well-being at the expense of the majority, is hopelessly outdated. As part of the formation of a multipolar system, new centers of power are emerging, and they seek to pursue "a sovereign, independent policy, being united by readiness to defend their national interests," he said.

"Of course, not only attention to these processes, but even rejection of them is seen, there is sharp and practical opposition from Western states, which would like to avoid the irreversibility of these processes with the prospect of losing their <…> habitual hegemony," Ryabkov pointed out. "To counter these processes, tough neo-colonial methods are used, like political pressure and blackmail, and economic coercion, centered on illegitimate unilateral sanctions, as well as campaigns of international isolation and hounding of individual states are organized, with involvement of maximum co-conspirators under various pretexts."

BRICS as an alternative format

In these circumstances, BRICS has become one of the alternative formats where there is consideration of interests of developing countries and where realization of their aspirations is possible, the deputy minister said. "The list of countries intending to expand interaction with BRICS is more than three dozen," he noted. According to Ryabkov, one of the reasons for the attractiveness of the association is that BRICS "is aimed at constructive interaction not directed against anyone."

"Today BRICS includes countries with different economic and political systems, often they have divergent views on certain issues on the global agenda, but over the years of our cooperation a very stable respectful culture has been established, and it is cherished by all participants of this association," Ryabkov emphasized. "It is based on unquestioning, absolute respect for the principle of sovereign equality, for choosing one's own path of development and taking each other's interests into account. Decisions are always taken by consensus of all participants, and this allows our countries to find common ground not subject to revision and challenge."