Lavrov highlights Russia-India-China partnership ahead of BRICS Summit

New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the importance of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trio ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit.

Lavrov noted that while formal meetings between the three countries have been absent in recent years, their relationship remains robust.

According to news agency ANI, Lavrov attributed the lack of recent meetings to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other global factors.

He recalled that in the 1990s, there was an initiative for regular RIC meetings, which eventually expanded into the BRICS group with the inclusion of Brazil and South Africa.

On January 1, 2024, BRICS will officially welcome four new members—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Lavrov emphasized that BRICS represents the evolving global economic landscape, with emerging economic centers.

He stressed that the group’s goal is to serve the interests of its members, and it has garnered attention from other nations interested in joining.

Lavrov clarified that BRICS is not intended to oppose any specific countries, including Western nations, but aims to capitalize on shared geography, history, and mutual interests.