A person walks past the Sandton Convention Centre, which will host the upcoming BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa August 19, 2023.
South African summit organisers, however, say there will be no discussions of a BRICS currency, an idea floated by Brazil earlier this year as an alternative to dollar-dependence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted under an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, will not travel to South Africa and instead join virtually.
South Africa has also voiced support.
Over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials.
Persons:
James Oatway, Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Vinay Kwatra, Bhargav Acharya, Joe Bavier, Andy Sullivan
Organizations:
Sandton, REUTERS, Indian, China, BRICS, Thomson
Locations:
Johannesburg, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, United States