Russia, Brazil Favor First BRIC Summit In 2009

The BRIC nations are Brazil, Russia, India and China

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva want to hold the first summit of major emerging market countries known as BRICs in Russia next year, the two leaders said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The BRIC nations are Brazil, Russia, India and China.

"The presidents welcomed a dialogue among BRIC countries and expressed the importance of this forum for searching for solutions to global problems," said the statement signed by Lula and Medvedev after they held talks in Rio de Janeiro.

"The presidents spoke in favor of holding the first BRIC summit in Russia in 2009," it added.

The four countries met as a group for the first time at a G20 gathering of finance ministers in Sao Paulo this month and put out a joint statement calling for a greater say in world affairs and the global economy.