EAM Jaishankar to take part in BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on Thursday

New Delhi, May 18: China will host the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on Thursday via video link in which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will take part along with his counterparts from the five-member bloc, a top Chinese official said on Wednesday.

Besides Jaishankar, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Franca and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the meeting which would be chaired by China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

During the meeting, the BRICS Foreign Ministers will have a "BRICS+" dialogue with their counterparts from emerging markets and developing countries, he told a media briefing here.

He, however, did not disclose the names of the countries taking part in the BRICS Plus dialogue.

China holds the chair of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) this year.

About China's expectations of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting, Wang Wenbin said that the meeting will send a clear message of unity and make preparations for the annual summit of the five-member bloc.

"We will send a clear message of BRICS countries working together in solidarity, upholding true multilateralism staying united in fighting COVID-19, and promoting peaceful development," he said.

"More importantly we will make good preparations for the BRICS summit," he said.

This year's summit is being held in the shadows of Russia's military offensive against Ukraine.

"BRICS enjoys global influence as a cooperation mechanism of emerging markets and developing countries. In the face of once in a century pandemic and changes the BRICS mechanism has special significance for deepening cooperation on emerging markets and developing countries and promoting post COVID world economic recovery, the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

The Foreign Ministers meeting was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during China's chairmanship of the five-member bloc in 2017, he said.

Under the strategic leadership of BRICS leaders, the Foreign Ministers' meetings have played an important role in strengthening political mutual trust and deepening security cooperation among the five countries, Wang Wenbin stressed.

As the BRICS Chair for 2022, China looks forward to enhancing communication and coordination with fellow BRICS partners on the new challenges in the international situation and major international and regional issues, he said.

"On the sidelines of this year's foreign ministers meeting we will also hold BRICS plus dialogue where BRICS foreign ministers will exchange views with Foreign Ministers of some emerging markets and developing countries on global governance," he said.

It is believed that this dialogue will further enhance solidarity, political consensus and provide emerging markets and developing countries a bigger say in global governance so as to better safeguard common interests, Wang Wenbin added.