"A number of ASEAN countries have been invited to participate in the summit, and these invitations have been accepted. We have no doubt that the approaches developed within BRICS to various issues on the agenda may certainly be of interest to the participants in the East Asian summits, especially to the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations," Lavrov said at a press conference on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Laos.
BRICS is one of the supporting pillars of the multipolar world order, the top Russian diplomat said, adding that the upcoming October 22-24 BRICS summit in Kazan will be "an international event of global significance."
BRICS is an intergovernmental association created in 2006. Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the bloc on January 1, 2024. The year began with the accession of new members to the association – in addition to Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa, it now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has not formalised its participation but has been taking part in BRICS meetings.
The ASEAN summit is being held from October 6-11 in Vientiane, Laos. The main topic of the summit is Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience.