Promotion of information cooperation between the BRICS countries is extremely important in order to strengthen the position of the association and the countries of the global South in various international structures. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a live interview with Russian and foreign media.

Answering a question from a journalist of the China Media Corporation (CMG), a partner of TV BRICS, the diplomat noted that such interaction would help strengthen the role of the group’s states in the United Nations (UN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20, and other formats.

Lavrov added that the BRICS participants are interested in further deepening ties in the field of media. According to him, events like the BRICS Media Summit held in September should be held more often.

The Russian Foreign Minister also emphasised the consolidating role of Russia and China for the countries of the global South. He called the two states’ BRICS interaction an example of Beijing and Moscow’s positive impact on international relations.

In addition, the Minister spoke about the prospects of Russia’s cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean, answering a question from a representative of the teleSUR media resource, which is part of TV BRICS’ partner network. In particular, Lavrov said that a number of mutual visits and joint events are planned for next year, especially considering that in the coming months, Russia will celebrate the anniversaries of diplomatic relations with Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Argentina, and Mexico.

Speaking about economic ties, Lavrov pointed to the stability of trade turnover indicators with Latin American countries. He specified that among Russia’s main trade partners in the region are Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile.

The head of the Russian ministry paid special attention to cooperation in tourism, noting that 27 out of 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries have visa-free travel agreements with Russia, which is a record percentage compared to other parts of the world. In addition, almost 5,000 Latin American students study in Russia at the expense of Russian state scholarships, and annual quotas are planned to increase, according to Lavrov.

Source: TV BRICS
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation