Lavrov: There is no need or interest for anyone currently to transform BRICS into an organization with a general secretariat

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that transforming the BRICS group of countries from a union into an organization with a general secretariat is not necessary.

Minister Lavrov said in a statement to NTV that no reform should be carried out on the BRICS group at the present time from an association to a full-fledged organization with a general secretariat.

He added: "I do not think that anyone has any interest in turning it into an organization, at least at this stage, and in the relatively long term."

It should be noted that BRICS, at its last meeting held last August in South Africa, agreed to accept the membership of 6 new countries: Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and Ethiopia, as the membership of these countries will be effective from the beginning of the new year 2024.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch also announced last November that Islamabad had submitted an official request to join the BRICS group, after reviewing the results of the group’s recent summit in Johannesburg.

The Serbian President confirms that his country will not recognize the independence of Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the Serbian authorities, despite negotiations with Pristina, do not intend to recognize Kosovo's independence and we will not support its membership in the United Nations.

Vucic added in a press statement on Sunday: “I repeat once again, Serbia does not and will not recognize the independence of Kosovo. We will not agree to any documents that force us to support Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations or in other United Nations structures.”

Speaking about the negotiations with Kosovo regarding the normalization of relations, Vucic stressed that he is always ready to fulfill his part of the agreements, indicating that the Kosovo authorities are not committed to fulfilling their part of the agreement.