Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday said that 30 countries have expressed their interest in establishing partnership ties with the BRICS grouping. Lavrov said Moscow expects a wide range of solutions to be developed ahead of the group’s next summit, set to take place in the Russian city of Kazan in October next year.

Addressing a session of United Russia’s Commission on International Cooperation and Support for Compatriots Abroad, Lavrov said the aspiration of many countries to become closer with the five-nation bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is “natural given that BRICS is operating on a genuinely democratic and mutually respectful basis”, the state-run TASS news agency reported. “In addition to the countries that have already joined our union, as of today, about 30 countries would like to establish partner ties with BRICS,” he said. During the 15th BRICS summit held at Johannesburg in South Africa from June 22-24, the BRICS leaders agreed to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as new members, effective January 1, 2024. “We will continue to work on BRICS bolstering its positions as one of the pillars of a multipolar world,” the top Russian diplomat noted.

“The theme of our watch in BRICS will be ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security.’ Over 10 Russian cities will host more than 200 economic, political and public events. It all will culminate with the BRICS summit in Kazan next October,” he said.

“Together with our partners, we expect to develop a wide range of solutions for the top-level event, which will be related to the key areas of cooperation,” Lavrov said.

Various events would take place as part of preparations for the summit and on its sidelines, particularly on the BRICS Plus and Outreach platforms.

“The heads of many developing countries will attend these events, primarily our closest neighbours and allies from post-Soviet organisations,” Lavrov said.

The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006. In September 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.