President Vladimir Putin has invited his Mongolian counterpart to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia next month, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.
“I would like to conclude my opening remarks by inviting you to Russia, specifically to Kazan, where we will host the BRICS summit this year,” Putin said to Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh during his visit to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.
Putin’s visit to Mongolia, which began late Monday, marks his first trip to a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the court issued a warrant for his arrest in March 2023 over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
BRICS, originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, aims to unite the world’s most significant emerging economies and serve as a political and economic counterbalance to wealthier Western nations.
Earlier this year, the BRICS group expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Putin informed Khurelsukh that Russia will be the first BRICS member to host a summit following this expansion, scheduled for October 22-24.
“This will be the first event of this level since the expansion of the organization. I hope you will participate in the BRICS Outreach—BRICS Plus format,” Putin added.
