"I am looking today forward to the plenary session and listening to what Mr. Putin is going to say, but I'm assuming that he's going to call for stronger coalition, stronger collaboration with the BRICS countries, as they are a very strong bloc," she said.

"The BRICS aggregate GDP amounts to over 60 trillion USD. Its overall share in global GDP strongly exceeds the relevant indicator of the so-called G7 and continues to grow," he said.

“We emphasize the importance of close economic partnership of BRICS countries to advance trade and investment to deepen mutual cooperation,” Putin added.

"I would like to specifically note that the current forum also brought together businessmen from those countries that from January 1 have become full BRICS members. Namely, I'm talking about our colleagues and friends from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates...The Russian chair has an overall motto of strengthening multilateralism based on just global development," he added.

"The gap is broadening. It will continue to broaden. It is inevitable. And that is a totally clear dynamic. Over the past decades, on top of that, over 40% of global GDP growth of the whole global economic dynamics accounted for BRICS states," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the BRICS Business Forum

“There are plans to create a single digital infrastructure for BRICS in the future,” he pointed out.

"We highly appreciate the BRICS Business Forum. It unites our countries and reflects our shared aspiration to further build up relations between the BRICS member states. It contributes to the development of investment activities and trade, as well as implementation of joint projects," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told participants of the BRICS Business Forum in a video message.

"This future depends on the opportunities that we are offering together... I hope that outcomes of the Business Council will contribute to great investment and deeper cooperation among our countries," Sisi concluded.

"Together, by supporting and helping each other, we will fulfill the crucial task, which is to ensure positive movement forward, to ensure security, and finally to ensure the well-being of the peoples of our countries," Russia's President Vladimir Putin said at the BRICS Business Forum.

"BRICS is not oriented against anyone. BRICS is moving towards sustainable development and the prosperity of our countries and our peoples," he added.

“Investment in skills development is growing, a workforce that will make the African continent an engine of production and growth well into the future,” he noted.

“The expanded BRICS Group now covers 43% of the world's population. The group together accounts for 27% of global GDP and a fifth of world exports,” he noted.