Russia maps strategic cooperation goal as presidential priority for BRICS nations

NEW DELHI, February 27. /TASS/. Transforming the BRICS bloc of emerging market nations into "a full-scale mechanism of strategic co-operation in global policy and economics" will be a top priority for Russia’s presidency of the group this year, the leader of Russia's parliamentary lower house said on Friday. State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin told a discussion group on Russia-India co-operation within the assembly of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa: "Our priority is to achieve strategic solutions to the full range of issues of mutual interest - from combating terrorism and the drug threat to public health services and agriculture." In the financial arena, "Russia waits for the new BRICS development bank to start working," the lawmaker said. "A strategy for economic partnership of BRICS nations and an investment co-operation roadmap may serve as a guide for the bank," he said, adding that Russia attached particular importance to "strengthening co-operation of the countries in promoting reform of the international monetary and financial system". BRICS was "a promising format which has already proved its viability," Naryshkin said, noting the importance of dialogue and co-operation in the modern "multifaceted and multipolar" world, when "growing global distrust has become a real threat". Attempts by a certain state to dictate its will to everyone were not just overly ambitious but extremely dangerous, he said, adding: "Direct contacts among nations from different continents can play a stabilising role on the planet in general." Read more