Russia and China are working to strengthen strategic cooperation in the conditions of the Ukrainian crisis and the global struggle, the Asian nation's ambassador here, Zhang Hanhui, confirmed today.
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"In these circumstances, Beijing and Moscow should strengthen strategic cooperation, show strong will and reveal the constructive role of the Sino-Russian nexus, as well as help the Brics assert its independence in international and regional topical issues," the diplomat referred in statements to the TASS news agency.
Hanhui stressed that the evolution of the international scene and the world order is currently "affected by the processes taking place in the world, including the Ukrainian crisis, the struggle of the great world powers and the most serious pandemic of the century," he emphasized.
The head of the diplomatic mission of the Asian giant also stressed that both countries, as "powerful engines" of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), play "an important leadership role in ensuring the progressive development of cooperation within the association."
In this regard, the ambassador added that the group of the five developing countries is open to welcoming new states in order to support the movement towards building a new multipolar international order that moves towards justice, democratization and rationality.
"We are confident that as the Brics membership expands, recognition and support for the association's position will only increase, more developing countries will join our common cause of strengthening solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation," he stressed.
Hanhui said that 13 nations have expressed interest in joining the group, including Argentina, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Earlier, the president of the Brics International Forum, Purnima Anand, added that the admission of some of these countries could be discussed and decided at the next summit.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the last summit of the association held on June 23, expressed his confidence that the leadership of the Brics countries is now important to achieve a unifying and positive path towards the formation of a multipolar system of inter-state relations, based on the principles of the UN Charter.