Russian FM says BRICS group to consider common currency

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – BRICS countries – will discuss creating a common currency at the group's forthcoming summit this August in South Africa.

"It is in this direction that the initiatives that have been voiced recently ... about the need to think about creating our own currencies within the framework of BRICS," he told a news conference with his Angolan counterpart Tete Antonio in the capital Luanda.

Lavrov said Russia supports the idea of reformation of the UN Security Council to increase representation of African, Asian and Latin American countries.

He said he briefed his Angolan counterpart on the situation in Ukraine, drew his attention to West's actions, which are "using Ukraine for years for waging a hybrid war against Russia."

"Ukraine was also used to carry out a frankly colonial policy towards the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine," he said.

Lavrov stressed that in order to stop this "anti-Russian course," and to prevent turning Ukraine into "a territory for creating threats for Russia," Moscow launched its "special military operation" last February.

For his part, Antonio said Angola supports the principle of non-interference and called on Russia and Ukraine to declare a cease-fire and start dialogue.