MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Countries of the world majority are interested in expanding ties with Russia, despite the turbulent geopolitical situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video address to the Business Interregional BRICS Forum.
"I am pleased to welcome the organizers of and participants in the Business Interregional BRICS Forum, one of the key elements of the architecture of cooperation within the association. Despite the turbulent geopolitical situations, countries of the global majority show genuine interest to expanding comprehensive ties between themselves and, in particular, with Russia. It is quite symbolic that you have gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia’s northern cultural capital, a dynamically developing global-scale business center," he noted.
The top Russian diplomat stressed that today BRICS is a driver of the global economic growth. "Suffice to mention that the association accounts for 40% of the planet’s GDP in terms of purchasing power parity and for 23% of total global trade. Trade between the member states alone has already reached $1.2 trillion," he pointed out.
"We think it important not to rest on our laurels, but to continue working together to further exploit the rich potential of mutually beneficial cooperation. Russian initiatives aimed at establishing international payment mechanisms resilient to external shocks and launching a New Investment Platform to attract capital to key sectors of the economies of the BRICS countries, the Global South, and the East as a whole are geared to stimulate such efforts," Lavrov stated.
He stressed that he is convinced that the forum will make a serious contribution to shared efforts toward expanding practical cooperation. "I am confident that the forum will be held in a traditionally constructive atmosphere, will help establish near and strengthen the existing business contacts, maintain the atmosphere of trust, mutual understanding, and partnership between our countries and peoples, and the rich cultural program will make it possible for the participants to learn more about the richest historical and cultural heritage of St. Petersburg, an open-air museum," he added.