It is reasonable to believe that the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are capable of emerging from the ongoing global financial crisis first, given their current economic growth at a rapid rate, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Invanov on Tuesday.

The plan to hold a BRIC summit in mid-June in Yekaterinburg, Russia has made it clear that leaders and experts in these countries have acknowledged the importance to further cooperation on the basis of this platform, Invanov told Xinhua.

Although regional and cultural differences remain between the BRIC countries, said Invanov, there are still a lot of similarities between them, such as a sober understanding on the issues of building a multi-polar world and casting off dependency on a single currency.

Invanov also welcomed expansion of trade and economic cooperation of the BRIC countries in compliance of common interests.

He was confident that the BRIC countries, in the next few years, will continuously deepen contacts in all spheres, initially in economy and finance.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)