BRICS can play an important stabilizing role in international relations unlike US-led NATO, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday.
"Unlike US-led NATO, BRICS can play an important stabilizing role in international relations. Our five countries give convincing examples of an effective work on relevant global issues based on principles of openness, equality, mutual respect and lack of hidden agenda," Patrushev said at a high-level security meeting between representatives of the BRICS states.
BRICS can also undertake a key role in shaping the global development agenda as a platform for equal dialogue and collective efforts to resolve issues of global security, the Russian official added.
Patrushev's remarks came during his visit to South Africa to participate in the 13th annual meeting of high representatives in charge of security issues of the BRICS states with the participation of the "Friends of BRICS" ahead of next month's summit.
The meeting of representatives in charge of security issues in the bloc's countries is traditionally conducted prior to the leaders' summit. The previous such event was held in June last year via videoconference.
BRICS, a bloc сomprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, holds nearly a third of the world's GDP and some 40% of the world's population.