XIAMEN (China) (Sputnik) — Meetings of the BRICS nations’ leaders have officially started in China's southeastern city of Xiamen, a Sputnik correspondent reported Monday.
Leaders from the bloc's five nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — have exchanged welcoming handshakes. A plenary session is expected to start shortly.
This year, the summit is being held in a "BRICS Plus format," which means that apart from the five member-states, other countries have been invited: Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Guinea and Tajikistan.
North Korea's latest and most powerful nuclear test, carried out on Sunday, is expected to be on top of the agenda.
On Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a BRICS Business Forum, a major side event of the bloc's 9th summit, set to last until Tuesday.
