By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a four-day official visit to two African countries starting July 25, the presidential press office said on Sunday.

According to the statement, the Turkish president will attend the BRICS summit of state and government heads -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa on July 25-27 in the South African city of Johannesburg.

Erdogan’s attendance at the summit will serve as the first high-level contact between Turkey and the BRICS.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Turkish president is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of BRICS member states and other leaders who have been invited.

Erdogan will also pay an official visit to Zambia on July 28, the statement added.

As part of his visit, Erdogan will meet Zambian President Edgar Lungu to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments.

This will be the first ever official visit from a Turkish president to Zambia.