MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it regarded work to integrate Saudi Arabia into the BRICs bloc of developing countries very important and said such work was continuing.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comment after the kingdom's minister of commerce said in a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Saudi Arabia has not yet officially joined BRICs.

Peskov said he had not heard about the minister's statement. REUTERS