BRICS unites half of the planet's population and could serve as a prototype for building a new world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club.

"An organization like BRICS can undoubtedly serve as a prototype for building a future world order. We keep in mind that today it represents practically half of the globe’s population, and BRICS' share of the world economy is steadily growing. This happens every year; we see it - it is a matter of statistics. Most importantly, there are the principles behind the formation and functioning of BRICS: everyone is equal. There is no domination, and that is attractive," Putin said.