Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently on a visit to China, will attend on Thursday a summit of BRICS countries to discuss international issues with their leaders and push for Russia's economic integration into the Asia Pacific region.
The heads of the five BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, who officially joined the group of emerging economies in March - are expected to discuss a wide range of international economic and political issues during the talks, including the reformation of the global financial system, climate change, sustainable development and the future of nuclear power generation.
The summit, which will take place in Sanya in China's southern island of Hainan, is also expected to focus on the political situation in the Middle East and North Africa.
On the eve of the talks, Russian presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said that "the global character of BRICS has been strengthened by a leading African country joining the club," adding that BRICS countries accounted for more than a quarter of the global GDP and almost half of the world's population.
"It is expected that important decisions will be made on a coordinated approach towards further promotion of the international currency and financial system reform and the lowering of the raw material price volatility," Prikhodko said. The talks will therefore contribute to the preparation of an upcoming G20 summit due in Cannes in November, he added.
The Russian president is planning to present Russia's view of opportunities for cooperation within BRICS in the economic and scientific spheres to his colleagues, Prikhodko said.
Among the international issues to be addressed by the summit participants is the situation in Japan, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich said. The countries will discuss the possibilities of providing aid to the country, which has been struggling to overcome the consequences of a recent massive earthquake and tsunami, including a worsening nuclear crisis.
The BRICS leaders will also exchange their opinions on the situation in the Middle East, Dvorkovich said.
Russia, Brazil, India and China were among the countries who abstained from voting on a UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya and approving a military action against the country's embattled leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in mid-March.
"We see that we have a common position that such problems should be resolved by diplomatic means," Dvorkovich said. "This is what we call our partners for, and I think the leaders will reaffirm this position," he added.
SANYA (China), April 14 (RIA Novosti)
