Johannesburg – A number of non-member countries will be attending the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (Brics) 10th summit in Johannesburg on July 25-27.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is among leaders attending due to their countries' involvement with Brics as a rising economic to challenge the hegemony of Western economies.
Erdogan will attend a special session in his capacity as the chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation and will also hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the summit’s sidelines.
Their meeting comes against the backdrop of increasing cooperation between Russia and Turkey despite their previous disagreements over the Syrian war.
This increased cooperation has included Ankara buying Russian S-400 air defence systems in a deal that has upset the West.
Part of Turkey’s agenda is the goal of expanding the country’s presence on the African continent by establishing a diplomatic mission in all African countries, in order to explore trade opportunities on the continent.