ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Bolivian President Luis Arce on Monday in Rio de Janeiro on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS summit.

The two sides discussed expanding bilateral cooperation and deepening joint projects in trade and investment, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

The meeting focused on enhancing economic ties and launching large-scale investment initiatives between the two countries.

Both also reviewed coordination within the BRICS platform and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.

The Russian side described the discussions as a continuation of its strategic outreach in Latin America.

Russia and Bolivia have recently intensified cooperation across energy, lithium mining, and agriculture, positioning themselves as key partners within multilateral formats such as BRICS.