I would like to brief you on a major event which Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend. It will be held at the highest level. It is a BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Kazan on October 22-24. The 16th summit of the group, it will be held in Russia, which holds the BRICS chairmanship this year. The theme of the summit is Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security.
The heads of state will have a busy agenda. They will discuss global and regional issues and the results of cooperation within the framework of their countries’ strategic partnerships in politics, the economy, culture and the humanitarian area. They will also review the results of their security interaction, including the work of their high representatives and relevant agencies in this sphere. They will focus on reforming the international financial system and enhancing the role of BRICS countries, as well as promoting interbank cooperation and mutual settlements in national currencies. Another important item on their agenda will concern the establishment of the new category of BRICS partner states.
The main results of the summit will be set out in the final declaration, including the member states’ consolidated approach to current international and regional issues and the further development of BRICS.
A meeting in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format, scheduled for October 24, will be attended by delegations from over 30 developing countries, in particular, those chairing regional cooperation mechanisms, as well as the heads of executive bodies of international organisations. The main theme of the meeting is BRICS and the Global South: Building a Better World Together. The meeting will focus on the current cooperation between the Global Majority countries and on enhancing their role in decision-making on international issues. Other items will include the situation in hotspots, primarily the Middle East, sustainable development, and food and energy security.
Substantive information regarding these issues has been posted by the Presidential Executive Office and the Foreign Ministry. Our representatives and ambassadors are contributing by giving interviews, speaking about the upcoming events at various venues and in the media, holding news conferences and briefings, and answering questions. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
I would also like to note that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with our partners on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. We will provide updates on his schedule. This information will be posted on the Ministry’s website and social media accounts.