15th BRICS summit

In early 2024, the alliance of states known under the acronym BRICS grew from five (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to nine members. The integration of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates constituted the second enlargement of the alliance which was founded in 2006 and incorporated South Africa in 2010. Since 2024 the acronym BRICS+ applies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Tuesday with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and expressed Moscow's full support for Türkiye's interest in joining the BRICS bloc.

"We welcome Türkiye's interest in the work of BRICS," Putin told Fidan during the closed-door talks on June 11, after Fidan attended the BRICS+ foreign ministers meeting.

The BRICS group decided today to officially invite Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates to join the bloc.

Leaders of the BRICS group have invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join - a move aimed at increasing the influence of the bloc, which has vowed to defend the "global south", Reuters reported.

Leaders of the BRICS emerging economies meet in Johannesburg this week looking to widen the bloc's influence and push for a shift in global geopolitics.

South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to host China's President Xi Jinping, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for the annual three-day summit starting tomorrow.