BRICS leaders meet in South Africa on Tuesday as the loose association of major emerging economies seeks to assert its voice as a counterweight to Western dominance in global affairs. The so-called BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the club has surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg.
Security has been bolstered across the city where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will host China’s President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and some 50 other leaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is the target of an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine and will not attend in person, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent on his behalf.