KAZAN, October 24. /TASS/. Uzbekistan intends to establish a close cooperation with BRICS New Development Bank for implementing investment projects, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting of the BRICS Plus/Outreach meeting within the BRICS summit in Kazan.

He noted the importance of supporting developing countries in the light of "overcoming of pressing social and environmental challenges, poverty reduction, narrowing of the technological gap and infrastructure upgrade." "International financial institutions can and should play an important role in it. Uzbekistan intends to establish a close cooperation with BRICS New Development Bank for implementation of prior investment and social projects," the president said.

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 summit its participants passed the Kazan declaration. Among the main themes of the document are development of the association, the position on global problems, settlement of 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 attended by the new members of the integration.