Erdoğan to attend 10th BRICS Summit


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been invited to attend the 10th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa between July 25 and July 27.

The summit will discuss issues like trade in local currency, terrorism and immigration.

Turkey was invited to the 10th Leaders' Summit of BRICS countries, who account for more than 23 percent of the world economy, as the term chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In the bilateral talks to be held at the summit, regional issues, as well as the development of bilateral economic relations and trade using local currencies will be discussed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be accompanied by Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak.

Erdoğan, who will reportedly announce some key appointments this week, is expected to be accompanied by the soon to be appointed heads of the investment and finance offices.

He will hold bilateral talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil's President Michel Temer and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The talks to be held within the summit will focus on the next steps to improve bilateral trade and economy. The leaders attending the summit are also expected to exchange views on regional and global issues during the talks. The summit will also be attended by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Erdoğan is expected to meet Guterres in Johannesburg, where the discussions will focus on irregular migration, as well as on Syria, Iraq and Cyprus.

Earlier in a phone call on Saturday, President Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Putin agreed to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.