KAZAN, October 24. /TASS/. The Russian chairmanship made it possible to strengthen the BRICS group’s position as a platform for international cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, said.

"The Russian chairmanship has helped implement the collective vision that strengthened BRICS’ position as a platform for international cooperation not only in resolving certain issues but also in determining a future path that will guarantee prosperity for the nations of the world," he said, addressing a BRICS Plus/Outreach meeting.

The top UAE diplomat also pointed out that the group’s members did not limit themselves to economic cooperation, working to establish a model for cooperation based on multifaceted relations. According to him, the BRICS platform allows its members to share experiences "to achieve common progress."

"My country believes that a true partnership is built on common interests and mutual respect rather than on temporary considerations. Today’s meeting brings the friends of BRICS together to discuss ways to take collective action to build a better future," he added.

The 16th BRICS Summit, which is the key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, is being held in Kazan on October 22-24. On the second day of the event, its participants adopted the Kazan Declaration, focusing on the group’s development, global issues and the need to resolve regional crises, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, became its full-fledged members. The Kazan summit is the first to be attended by the new members of the association.