BRICS DOES NOT OPERATE IN CLOSED FORMAT, OPEN TO ALL WHO SHARE ITS VALUES - PUTIN

KAZAN, Russia, Oct 24 (Bernama-Sputnik) -- The BRICS group of the world's fastest growing economies does not operate in a closed format and remains open to all nations that share its values, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, reported Sputnik.

"We confirmed in Kazan that BRICS is not a closed format. It is open to all who share the values of BRICS, and its members are ready to work together to find common solutions without external pressure or attempts to impose narrow approaches on anyone," Putin told a news conference after the BRICS summit in Russia's Kazan.

Russia takes the duties of BRICS chairmanship responsibly, added Putin.

"The 16th BRICS Summit has just successfully concluded. It was the culmination of the Russian presidency of the association and one of the most notable events in the global political calendar. I have said more than once that Russia takes the duties of the BRICS chairman responsibly, more than 200 events have been held in 13 Russian cities," Putin told a press conference, following the BRICS summit.

Russia has successfully done everything possible to ensure that the new BRICS members have organically joined the association family, Putin added.

"I can state with satisfaction that all of them [new participants] take an active part in working forums, put forward useful and promising ideas and initiatives. As for the Kazan summit itself, delegations of 35 states and 6 international organisations took part in it, as you already know," Putin said.

Participants of the BRICS summit discussed key international issues with a focus on the situation in the Middle East, he added.

"We [BRICS summit participants] exchanged views on key international issues with a focus on the aggravated situation in the Middle East. We also looked at the prospects of interaction between the BRICS members, countries of the global South and East in the interests of sustainable development.”

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK