Russia says it supports Pakistan's bid to join BRICS

Russia has said it would support the inclusion of Pakistan in BRICS, an intergovernmental organisation comprising powerful global economies including Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa. "We would be supportive of it," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on Thursday, in response to a question about Pakistan's request to become part of the grouping of the world's leading emerging market economies. Overchuk is on a two-day visit to Islamabad and was addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.