Arrival of Lavrov in South Africa for BRICS Summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in South Africa this morning, Tuesday, to attend the BRICS Summit. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Lavrov will represent Russia at the BRICS Summit meetings. Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would participate in the 15th BRICS Summit via video conferencing. The BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, with 54 leaders invited to attend. The agenda is expected to focus on issues such as the expansion of the organization and the transition to national currencies for trade among its members. The BRICS group includes Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa, covering a quarter of the Earth's land area and accounting for about 40 percent of the world's population.