Brazil has confirmed it will host the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, 2025. The Brazilian government made the announcement on Saturday, marking a significant milestone as Brazil assumes the leadership of the BRICS bloc for the year.
The country will focus on promoting global governance reform and strengthening cooperation among countries in the Global South. Brazil aims to address shared development challenges and create solutions that benefit its partners.
BRICS expansion and growth in 2025
BRICS, initially formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded in 2010 with the addition of South Africa. The bloc emerged as a counterbalance to the Group of Seven (G7), which consists of leading industrialised nations. BRICS has continued to grow in recent years.
In 2024, four new countries – Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates – officially joined the group. Saudi Arabia has also received an invitation to join, and countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have applied for membership.
Indonesia recently became a full member, and Nigeria holds the status of “partner country,” a new designation introduced during the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan.
Brazil has stated that the partner countries will attend the 2025 summit and may also participate in additional meetings, depending on the consensus among BRICS members.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira emphasised that the summit will focus on making key decisions to support economic development, cooperation, and improved living standards in BRICS and partner nations.
In addition, BRICS leaders are working on creating an alternative payment system to reduce reliance on the US dollar. This effort follows repeated threats from former US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on BRICS countries if they undermine the dollar’s dominance in global trade.
