China’s top diplomat to attend BRICS meeting in Russia next week

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will attend the BRICS foreign ministers summit next week in Russia, Beijing announced on Friday.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wang will attend the session in the city of Nizhny Novgorod from June 10 to 11.

BRICS is a bloc of emerging economies, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It welcomed Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as full members in January.

The group was founded in June 2006 at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum with the participation of the ministers of economy of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. It added South Africa in 2010.

The baton of one-year BRICS chairmanship was passed to Russia on Jan. 1. During the term, Moscow intends to prioritize politics and security, economics and finance, and cultural and humanitarian relations.

Over 250 events are scheduled in more than 10 Russian cities in 2024. The main event will be the BRICS leaders’ summit in Kazan on Oct. 22-24.

According to Russian presidential aide for foreign affairs, Yury Ushakov, the BRICS has surpassed the Group of Seven in purchasing power parity, accounting for 35.6% of global GDP, while the G7 accounts for 30.3%.