Moscow, March 31 (NationPress) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to visit India in May to participate in a significant meeting of the foreign ministers from the BRICS nations, as reported by local media on Tuesday, referencing a statement from Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.

According to Russia's Tass news agency, Rudenko stated, "Sergei Lavrov intends to engage in the BRICS ministerial meeting scheduled for May 14-15 this year, which will outline the key documents that the Indian presidency will present at the upcoming BRICS summit."

Rudenko also mentioned, "In light of the BRICS events, a dedicated working visit by Lavrov to India is planned, where he will meet with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other officials from India."

India will assume the BRICS chairmanship in 2026, focusing on the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability', which embodies a people-centric and humanity-first approach as emphasized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.

On March 23, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that during India's ongoing BRICS chairmanship, the nation remains committed to enhancing ties with Russia to collaboratively tackle mutual challenges within a balanced and inclusive framework.

While addressing a conference titled 'India and Russia: Towards a New Bilateral Agenda', Jaishankar reaffirmed New Delhi's steadfast dedication to its long-standing alliance with Moscow.

“The shifting multipolar landscape calls for increased cooperation through platforms such as BRICS, SCO, G20, and the UN. India, in its role as BRICS Chair, with a ‘humanity first’ and ‘people-centric’ focus, looks forward to collaborating closely with Russia to address shared challenges effectively," Jaishankar noted during his address.

The BRIC grouping was established during the inaugural meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006. The first BRIC Summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. In 2010, it was decided to expand BRIC to BRICS with the addition of South Africa, which subsequently participated in the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya in 2011, according to official statements.

As of January 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE have joined BRICS as full members, with Indonesia set to join in January 2025. Meanwhile, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam became Partner Countries in 2025.