Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Izvestia today the Middle East will become a major focus of the BRICS, including at the Oct. 22-24 BRICS Summit in Kazan. “What is happening now, literally these days, in the region, in terms of open conflict, will certainly receive maximum attention from BRICS. Both in bilateral contacts at the level of leaders and ministers of foreign affairs, and directly in Kazan, the conversation on this topic will be most direct and immediate,” he said at the BRICS International School on Oct. 2. The BRICS International School takes place over Oct. 1-3 in Moscow, this year.
The diplomat stressed that the situation in the Middle East is now practically getting out of control. “The aggressive course of Israel and the U.S., which patronizes it, has already led to significant casualties and increased risks of an even more serious escalation,” Ryabkov said. He remarked that BRICS has long been involved in the Middle East issue. In particular, this year, negotiations were held with the participation of deputy foreign ministers, which adopted a serious statement on this matter, Ryabkov recalled.
