MOSCOW, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, acts as "an example of genuine multilateral diplomacy that meets the realities of the 21st century," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
"The BRICS embodies the synergy of cultures and civilizations representing different regions of the planet," Lavrov said in a video message to the Fourth International Municipal BRICS+ Forum.
Lavrov said the BRICS+ framework is based on equality, mutual respect and justice.
"It is obvious that the answers to the numerous problems of our time ... can only be found on a collective basis, relying on a balance of interests and generally recognized international legal norms," he added.
The Fourth International Municipal BRICS+ Forum is underway until Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city. ■
