MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. BRICS will continue to hold meetings with applicants to determine which nations on the grouping’s list will become partner countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said following the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

"We will continue to hold consultations with interested countries within BRICS to select a number of nations to become partners of our association," said Ryabkov, who also serves as Russia’s BRICS Sherpa.

The senior Russian diplomat recalled that, in pursuance of instructions from the leaders of BRICS countries recorded in the 2003 Johannesburg Declaration, the category of partner states was established, noting that the work is ongoing.

The 16th BRICS Summit, the key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, was held in Kazan on October 22-24. On the second day of the summit, its participants adopted the Kazan Declaration. Among other key issues, the document highlighted the group’s development and its position on global problems and resolving crises, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became its full-fledged members. The Kazan summit became the first to be attended by the new members of the association as its full-fledged members.