MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday met with the heads of diplomatic missions of BRICS countries accredited in Moscow over a working breakfast to tell them about the main provisions of Russia's updated foreign policy concept endorsed by President Vladimir Putin.
"The minister briefed the partners of the main provisions of the new edition of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 31 of this year, which reflects a multipolar world vision and interest in expanding interaction within BRICS," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.
"At the meeting, the sides reiterated commitment to a multipolar world based on respect for international law and a country's sovereign choice of a path toward its own development. They noted the growing interest from a broad range of countries in cooperation with BRICS, in which they see a guardian of genuine multilateralism today," it said.
Speaking at the meeting, Lavrov highlighted the need to combine efforts to counter "the destructive actions being undertaken in line with the neocolonial policies of Western countries and aimed at ruining the existing security architecture."
There was also a substantive exchange of views on the development and consolidation of strategic partnership within the BRICS framework, including with consideration of priorities indicated by the South African chairmanship, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The sides expressed common determination to increase the international role of BRICS, to step up coordination on key multilateral platforms. They discussed current issues on the global agenda with an emphasis on the unacceptability of diluting the central role of the United Nations," it said.