NEW DELHI, February 9. /TASS/. During the current Indian presidency, the BRICS will continue its dialogue on the development of trade and investment ties, said Russian ambassador to the country Denis Alipov.
"This year work will be focused on increasing the role of developing countries in global governance institutions, on the fight against terrorism, and the safe use of digital technologies. A substantive dialogue will continue on the development of trade and investment ties in the association, which will be included in the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy for the period up to 2030. The agenda of the joint work will include issues related to the multilateral trading system, the digital economy and sustainable development," he said.
"We hope that the countries of the association will continue their efforts to create an alternative financial infrastructure," the ambassador added, stressing that "in this regard, it is important to implement previous agreements in the spirit of continuity. We see the flagship projects launched during the Russian BRICS presidency in 2024 as promising, including a cross-border payment reinsurance company. We expect active work on the proposal announced by the Reserve Bank of India to link the digital currencies of the central banks to simplify cross-border payments.
"All the BRICS countries, despite their uniqueness and their own national interests, are united by the focus on progressive development and transition to a more equitable multipolar world order. We welcome the intention of the Indian presidency to maintain and increase the dynamics of multidisciplinary cooperation in the BRICS format in all three main areas: politics and security, economics and finance, and cultural contacts."
The BRICS was founded in 2006, and in 2011 South Africa joined the original membership (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia became full members of the association in 2024. Indonesia joined the BRICS in 2025. Since the beginning of this year, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan have officially received the status of partners of the group, and on January 17, Nigeria.