MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that his country is committed to bringing the BRICS partnership to a new level.
In a statement ahead of a BRICS summit in Ufa, Putin urged all BRICS members to coordinate more closely on major international issues, and to play an active part in shaping a multipolar world order.
Noting that 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of World War II, Putin called for respect to history and peaceful solutions to conflicts.
"Aware of the past tragic lessons, the BRICS countries consistently support peaceful settlement of international conflicts and condemn any attempts to use force and pressure or intervene in sovereign countries' internal affairs," Putin said.
Russia will avail itself of its presidency for the upcoming summit to strengthen global security and stability with the BRICS partners, he added.
In addition, the president vowed to give priority to financial and economic cooperation within BRICS, stressing the importance of expanding cooperation in a wide range of areas, including energy, mining and information and communication technology.
BRICS, which gathers the world's five major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has become an important platform for dialogue and cooperation among emerging-market and developing countries and a key force in safeguarding world peace and stability.
