MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A parliamentary assembly of the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, could be established in the near future on Russia's initiative, the Izvestia newspaper reported Thursday, citing a source familiar with the situation.
The issue will reportedly be discussed during the upcoming trip to India by Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Alexei Pushkov.
"We will begin cooperation to establish a parliamentary assembly of the BRICS countries. This will be one of the issues that will be discussed there," the source told Izvestia.
Naryshkin and Pushkov will be joined by Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak, who oversees the creation of a new bank within the BRICS framework, on their visit to New Delhi, according to the source.
Pushkov declined from passing detailed comment on the source's statements, but confirmed to Izvestia that Russia is set to "strengthen and give new impetus to inter-parliamentary cooperation within the BRICS format."
The BRICS group of prominent emerging economies was established in 2010, when South Africa joined Brazil, Russia, India and China in what was previously known as BRIC.
