New Brazilian president confirms continuity in relations with Russia - Lavrov

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has confirmed the continuity of the country’s policy towards Moscow and BRICS at meetings with Russia’s representatives, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at his annual news conference on Wednesday. "President Bolsonaro has met with our representatives, including State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, who attended his inauguration ceremony," Lavrov said. "He confirmed his determination to ensure the continuity in relations with Russia and also continue participating in the development of BRICS," the Russian top diplomat added. He pointed out that Brazil had already taken over the BRICS presidency. "Our Brazilian colleagues put forward their plans for the presidency just recently, which include dates for ministerial meetings and a summit, as well as an agenda they offer to other member states," Lavrov said. At the same time, he was confident that the new Brazilian president would not turn out to be "a Trojan horse" in BRICS. "I don’t see any reasons to believe that Brazil will play a destructive role in BRICS. On the contrary, they assure us that relations with this organization is one of Brazil’s top foreign policy priorities," the Russian foreign minister noted. Read more