Among the leaders already in the Russian city are the president of China, the prime minister of India and the president of South Africa. The Chinese leader is expected to hold meetings with heads of state and representatives of the countries attending the summit. Photo: Sputnik

Moscow, October 22 (RHC)-- Heads of state and government arrive in Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS summit, which will be held over the next several days.

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the Russian city of Kazan on Tuesday to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, which is being held from October 22th to the 24th in Russia.

The Chinese leader is expected to hold meetings with heads of state and representatives of the countries attending the summit, in addition to participating in other activities.

Beijing is willing to work with all parties to promote cooperation within the BRICS group, usher in a new era of unity and self-sufficiency in the Global South, and promote both peace and development in the world, said last week the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Asian country, Mao Ning.

Among the other leaders who are already in the Russian city are the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa.

From the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they indicated that Narendra Modi plans to hold meetings with his counterparts from other member countries of the bloc and leaders invited to the high-level event.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said that the summit offers an opportunity to evaluate the progress of the initiatives promoted by the BRICS.

For his part, Cyril Ramaphosa will begin his agenda on Tuesday afternoon with a meeting with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, the South African Presidency said in a statement.  Ramaphosa will also hold several bilateral meetings with leaders attending the summit to “strengthen political and economic relations.”

The 16th BRICS Summit will begin on Tuesday in Kazan, Russia, under the motto “Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security.”  At the 2023 summit, the bloc experienced its first enlargement, with the addition of Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia.

Representatives from 32 countries from Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East are expected to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit.