KAZAN, October 24. /TASS/. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev believes that issues of countering international terrorism should be prior in BRICS partnership.

"Issues of countering threats and challenges of international terrorism obviously remain a prior direction of BRICS partnership," he said at the BRICS Plus/Outreach meeting within the BRICS summit in Kazan.

The president also voiced concerns about the escalation of conflicts, mainly in the Middle East, which he said is increasingly transforming into a potential focal point of the global crisis with neighboring countries and large powers involved in it.

"Uzbekistan is ready for close mutually beneficial cooperation with BRICS countries for reaching common sustainable development goals," Mirziyoyev stressed.

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.