“Your forum opens a new dimension in the BRICS group’s activity by involving in our joint work representatives of diverse nongovernmental organisations and public groups in our countries,” the President said in his message.
Mr Putin noted that many issues in international relations today cannot be resolved effectively without civil society’s active participation. “The role of people’s diplomacy in building trust and understanding between countries and searching for peaceful solutions to conflicts and crises is especially important,” Mr Putin said.
The President said that he was pleased to see that the forum’s agenda coincides with the priorities Russia has set for its presidency of the BRICS group and reflects in full the commitment to strengthening mutually beneficial multilateral cooperation in politics, the economy, and humanitarian fields.
Mr Putin said that he is sure the discussion will produce new ideas and initiatives for developing the BRICS countries’ potential and bolstering the group’s influence in global affairs.