JOHANNESBURG, August 23. /TASS/. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are against any hegemony and exclusiveness of countries, as well as the policy of neocolonialism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the leaders of the association's member-states.

"We are against any hegemony and some countries’ propaganda of their exclusiveness and their new policy based on this postulate - a policy of continued colonialism and neocolonialism," Putin said.

He thanked South Africa for its BRICS presidency this year.

"Our quintet has rightly established itself on the global arena as an authoritative structure, whose influence in world affairs is strengthening steadily. The strategic course of this association extends well into the future and meets the aspirations of the main part of the international community - the world’s majority," Putin said.

He stressed that the BRICS countries were acting in concert, on the principles of equality, partnership, support and due regard for each other's interests to address "the most pressing issues" on the global and regional agendas.

"The main thing is that we are all unanimous in the striving for the emergence of a multipolar world order, a truly fair one and based on international law and compliance with the key principles of the UN Charter, including the sovereign right and respect for the right of every nation to its own model of development," Putin added.