A meeting of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) was held today at the Residence of the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations in New York. The meeting was attended by the Minister of External Relations of Brazil, Celso Amorim, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Serguei Lavrov, of India, Pranab Mukherjee, and of China, Yang Jiechi.

This meeting followed up on a process which began last year with a BRIC Foreign Ministers' meeting parallel to the opening of the UN General Assembly.

The Ministers decided to instruct Ambassadors of the four countries in cities where multilateral organizations are located to meet on a regular basis to examine the main issues of the international agenda, in areas such as economy and finance, trade, energy and environment.

They agreed on holding in Brazil, in the first trimester of 2008, a meeting of Deputy Foreign Ministers or Director Generals of the four countries. This event will be followed by a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the second trimester of 2008, in Moscow.

It was also decided that the BRIC Foreign Ministers will meet yearly, parallel to the opening of the UN General Assembly.

Source: Ministry of External Relations