Russia says it’s planning definite partnerships with the current and new members of the BRICS+ group, ahead of the next summit later this year.
Russia has taken on the BRICS+ presidency with the meeting set to take place in the city of Kazan in October.
This will be the first summit where the expanded BRICS+ group meets following the inclusion of five other countries at the summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, last year.
Yury Ushakov, the Russian presidential foreign policy aide, has told the Tass news agency that the Russian government will be ready for this bigger group.
He says it will focus on various key elements, including politics and security, the economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian ties.
Added to this, he says all the countries will be exposed to Russia’s regional authorities.
An interdepartmental Steering Committee has been established to prepare and ensure Russia’s BRICS+ presidency.
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This body is responsible for coordinating the participation of Russian federal and regional authorities, parliamentary, business and non-governmental organisations.
Ushakov also says that the BRICS+ group is open to other states including smaller countries.
He told the Tass news agency that since the first acronym BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) had been coined in 2001, the group had looked towards openness especially when forming partnerships with various other countries.
He noted that Western analyst Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs came up with the name after studying the economic potential of the developing countries.
O’Neill arrived at the conclusion that these four countries would determine the direction of the world economy and politics in the next century.
In 2009, the first-ever summit of the four countries was held in Yekaterinburg.
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In the final Joint Statement, Ushakov says they agreed to develop consistent, active, pragmatic, open and transparent dialogue and co-operation to benefit all nations.
Meanwhile, Ushakov was also asked why the Russian city of Kazan had been chosen as the venue for the next summit.
He responded by saying that all essentials are in place for the city to host a meeting of world leaders at a decent level.
He says there is a well-developed transportation network, tourist infrastructure, and, in general, a comfortable modern urban environment.
The stage appears set for inclusive, but robust, talks with new partnerships and an expansion of business on the horizon.
