JOHANNESBURG, August 24. /TASS/. Meetings in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format, also known as the Friends of BRICS format, are useful and will help improve relations between countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"I would like to express confidence that this meeting will be very useful and will make a practical contribution to the strengthening of friendly relations of the five member countries, and starting next year more than five member countries, with your nations and will serve to intensify cooperation in a variety of areas," the president said by video link at a BRICS Plus/Outreach meeting.

"Russia will hold the BRICS presidency next year. At the request of our counterparts, we will seek to work first of all with the countries that are joining our work in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format," he added.

The BRICS summit was held in Johannesburg from August 22-24 under the chairmanship of South Africa. The summit participants agreed that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will join the group on January 1, 2024.