MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. The condemnation by BRICS countries of anti-Russian sanctions and Russia’s presidency in the association, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, means that plans to isolate Moscow on the international arena have failed, Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, said.

In her article "BRICS: An Outline of a Fair World Order", timed to the first BRICS parliamentary forum opening in Moscow on Monday, Matviyenko said the international association emerged as "a certain format of cooperation between the five countries having a common agenda," including "defending their sovereignty, protection and promotion of their national interests on the basis of the principles of equality, noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, non-acceptance of a unipolar world."

She said BRICS "clearly asserted itself as an international community pursuing an independent policy on the international arena, rejecting any attempts of outside pressure."

"Condemnation by BRICS countries of the policy of sanctions against Russia, our presidency of BRICS, the holding of the BRICS summit and parliamentary forum on our territory are a convincing demonstration of a failure of the plans to isolate Russia from the international community," Matviyenko said.