Russia announced on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic has forced it to postpone two international summits set for St. Petersburg in July.
Officials responsible for the BRICS and SCO summits "decided to postpone" both events scheduled for July 21-23 in Russia's second city, according to a statement on the Kremlin website.
The decision was made "taking into account the global coronavirus pandemic and the associated temporary restrictive measures," it added.
The summits would have brought together leaders of BRICS countries, an association of five emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The last BRICS summit was held November in Brazil, before the outbreak of the pandemic.
It would have also convened leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries, which include Russia, China, India, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries.
The Kremlin said new dates would be decided depending on the virus situation of countries participating in the summits "and in the world as a whole."
President Vladimir Putin said this week the peak of the pandemic had passed in Russia and official figures Wednesday showed a decrease in active cases for the second day in a row.
With 370,680 total infections, Russia has the third-highest number of cases after the United States and Brazil.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
