ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Brazil on Sunday to attend the summit of the BRICS economic bloc, of which Moscow is a founding member.

Russian state news agency RIA reported Lavrov’s arrival in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the 17th edition of the bloc’s summit held under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow’s participation in the summit in late June, later announcing on Friday that Russia’s delegation will be led by Lavrov.

“And on Sunday, the President (Vladimir Putin) will take part via videoconference in the main plenary session of this summit,” Peskov added.

The two-day 17th BRICS summit will begin on Sunday. The acronym BRICS represents the bloc's original five members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Since last year, the bloc has expanded with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia as full members.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing that the summit will assess the bloc's work since the start of the year, as well as touch on current issues on the global and regional agendas.