Some Arab leaders confirm their participation in BRICS summit — senior Russian diplomat
MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Several Arab leaders have confirmed their participation in the BRICS summit due to be held in Kazan in October, Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters.
"Of course, there are confirmations. The confirmations have come from a number of Arab leaders. They are members of BRICS and ‘BRICS Outreach’," Bogdanov said, adding that it would be a crucial summit.
The BRICS group has seen two waves of enlargement since its establishment in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the four founding nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China. In August 2023, six new members, including Argentina, were invited to join the group. However, Argentina turned down the invitation in late December. Five new members - Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia - were integrated into the BRICS family on January 1, 2024.
Russia assumed the rotating year-long presidency of BRICS on January 1, 2024. Russia's presidency will be marked by more than 250 events on a wide range of topics and will be crowned with the BRICS summit in Kazan in October.