Bolsonaro's Rise To Power In Brazil Unlikely To Affect BRICS Format Cooperation - Ryabkov

The election of Jair Bolsonaro as the new president of Brazil will unlikely affect cooperation in the BRICS format, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2019) The election of Jair Bolsonaro as the new president of Brazil will unlikely affect cooperation in the BRICS format, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Thursday.

"I am not ready to comment on which countries have taken a course for rapprochement with Brazil after President Bolsonaro came to power there and to what extent. And I would not say that in this case we have circumstances that hinder normal, productive cooperation in the BRICS format," Ryabkov said in an interview with the International Affairs magazine.

The deputy foreign minister expressed confidence that over the 10 years of its existence, the BRICS association has gained such a degree of internal stability and such dynamics in a number of areas that seem valuable and attractive, including for Brazil.

Moscow maintains dialogue with Bolsonaro's presidential administration on this issue and will continue these contacts, Ryabkov stressed.

Earlier in January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that there were no reasons to believe that Brazil under the leadership of Bolsonaro would play a destructive role in BRICS.

Bolsonaro, who represents the right-wing Social Liberal Party, secured a four-year presidential term by winning the October election.

According to Ryabkov, Moscow hopes that the Brazilian chairmanship in BRICS will be successful, and is ready to provide overwhelming assistance to that.

"I hope that the coming year of the Brazilian chairmanship in BRICS will be successful. We are ready to provide all-round assistance to our Brazilian colleagues in the interest of ensuring an efficient summit and other events that are included in the program of the chairmanship," Ryabkov added.