RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil will host the BRICS leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira announced Saturday.
Brazil took over the rotating presidency of BRICS on Jan 1 and is leading working groups to prepare the agenda and topics for the summit, which will bring together heads of state and government.
The announcement came after Vieira met with Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Saturday. The decision follows the city’s successful hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit last November.
“We will welcome the heads of state from the 20 countries that are full members and partners of BRICS, where we will make important decisions on development, cooperation, and improving living conditions in these nations. Once again, Rio de Janeiro will be the stage for a major international gathering,” Vieira said.
Paes, who has created a commission to oversee the event’s organization, said that the BRICS summit would strengthen international relations while fostering cultural, trade and tourism exchanges.
BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010 as a counterbalance to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.
Last year, the bloc expanded by adding Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has also been invited to join. Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have formally applied for membership, and several other countries have expressed interest.
Recently, the bloc welcomed Indonesia as one of its 11 members and Nigeria as a “partner country,” a designation introduced at the 2024 summit in Kazan.
Brazil said the partner countries are also invited to participate in the summit and may attend other meetings if there is consensus among members.
“We will make crucial decisions for development, cooperation, and improving the lives of all the inhabitants of these countries,” said Vieira.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. BRICS leaders have expressed their commitment to establishing an alternative payment system independent of the dollar. — NNN-AGENCIES
