BRICS becomes important international development factor - Federation Council speaker

MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. BRICS has become an important factor of international development and the solution of global problems, Chairwoman of Russia’s Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko said on Monday, opening the BRICS parliamentary forum in the Reception House of the Russian government. "Today there are good reasons for saying that BRICS has become an important factor of international development and resolving global problems," Matviyenko said, noting that the BRICS parliamentary forum had become possible thanks to the political will of the political leaders of the association’s member countries. She added that the forum reflected the "true partnership spirit." Matviyenko noted that the parliamentary meeting was being held during the year when the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two and the anniversary of the United Nations foundation were marked. According to her, promoting peace and security based on the rule of international law and the UN’s central role would be the key issues for the participants in the forum. BRICS, an association of five countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - known as BRIC before South Africa joined it in 2011, was founded in June 2006. Its first official summit was held in June 2009 in Yakerinburg. The summits have been held annually since then alternately in its member-countries. The last summit was held in Brazil. On April 1, 2015, Russia assumed the BRICS chairmanship. Read more