MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The goal of transforming BRICS into a full-fledged international organization is not yet on the agenda, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, Russia's BRICS sherpa, said in an interview published on the PIR Center website.
The senior diplomat noted that since its inception, BRICS has undergone a transformation and has gone through several stages of qualitative change. "You’ll agree that BRICS has transformed since its inception - even undergoing several stages of qualitative transformation. What began as an informal dialogue platform has now become a complex and multifaceted mechanism for interstate cooperation across a wide range of areas. At the same time, we’ve managed to avoid excessive bureaucracy and avoid any undesirable rigid attachment to an organizational structure. This, in turn, guarantees that dialogue is conducted on an equal footing, and collective responses to current challenges are developed effectively - without any 'superstructure' elements," Ryabkov noted.
"The goal of transforming BRICS into a full-fledged international organization is not currently on the agenda," the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
The senior diplomat noted that BRICS has a well-developed mechanism for financial, trade, and economic cooperation. "Interaction occurs through relevant agencies and business communities of the states. This model is proving its effectiveness at this stage and is unlikely to require adjustment. As our English-speaking colleagues say: ‘Don’t fix what works.’ This is the principle we follow," he emphasized. Ryabkov pointed to the fact that all decisions in BRICS are made only by consensus. "We strive to actively engage our partners in various ministerial and expert cooperation mechanisms. We understand that their participation benefits BRICS itself and enhances its potential. In any case, all decisions within BRICS are made solely by consensus - and this is one of the key guarantees that the national interests of each state are protected and ensured," the Russian deputy foreign minister stated. "We don’t need institutionalization for the sake of institutionalization. We need to increase the practical impact of the BRICS partnership. This is what we will focus on," Ryabkov concluded.