Russia hosts BRICS Summit: LIVE UPDATES

Around 20,000 delegates from over 30 countries are expected to attend the three-day international forum in Kazan

The 16th BRICS summit is taking place in Kazan, where dozens of foreign leaders have gathered in Russia’s fifth-largest city for three days of intense diplomatic discussions and high-level bilateral talks as part of the international forum which offers a new vision of multilateralism.

The current BRICS member countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates – collectively represent around 46% of the world’s population and over 36% of global GDP, according to estimates from global financial institutions.

Nearly three dozen states have expressed interest in joining BRICS or deepening cooperation with the group, and many of them have sent top level delegations to Kazan. Existing members agreed to discuss granting partner status to some of these nations and may approve some bids during the summit.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi before the summit officially begins with a dinner later in the day.