ISTANBUL 

Leaders and representatives from the BRICS alliance are gathering Sunday and Monday in Rio de Janeiro for the group's 17th annual summit.

The summit comes amid rising geopolitical tensions, including the recent Israeli and US strikes on Iran, which has been a BRICS member since 2024, along with the genocide in the Gaza Strip, and the war in Ukraine.

The return of Donald Trump to the White House and his renewed tariff threats have also raised concerns for the group.

The two-day talks will be hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with trade and investment, financial cooperation, AI and technology, global health and climate action on the agenda.

What is the BRICS alliance?

BRICS was originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining the following year.

It has grown to 11 members, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia -- the latest member to join the bloc.

An additional 10 countries, among them Vietnam, Nigeria and Malaysia, have joined as official "partner countries," a new category introduced at the 16th BRICS summit in Russia.

The bloc, which sees itself as a voice for the Global South, accounts for around 44% of global GDP and more than 56% of the world’s population.

It advocates for a multipolar global order and expansionism, and seeks to counter Western influence on the global front.

Who is attending summit, who is not?

Notably absent from the summit will be two founding leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, will participate virtually, according to media reports. Meanwhile, the Russian delegation in Brazil will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Xi will skip the summit, his first time missing the meeting as Chinese president in 12 years.

According to media reports, Beijing had reportedly informed the Brazilian government that Xi would be absent from the event due to a scheduling conflict. Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang is expected to attend in his place.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian is also reportedly going to miss the summit.

Those attending include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

What's on the agenda?

The group seeks better cooperation among Global South countries by creating alternative financial systems, reducing dollar dependency and greater representation in global institutions.

With the theme for this year's summit, “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance,” the BRICS nations are set to discuss a wide range of topics

Brazil is said to focus on six key topics, including global health cooperation, trade, investment and finance, and climate change. It is also emphasizing artificial intelligence, governance, multilateral peace and security architecture, and institutional development.​​​​​​​