Brazil opens BRICS summit in Rio, leaders of growing bloc, however, gather without Xi or Putin

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) holding an empty box representing Vietnamese fish, and Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, holding an empty box representing Brazilian beef, pose for photos after signing a bilateral trade agreement, ahead of the upcoming 17th annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, July 5, 2025. - AP Photo/Bruna Prado

RIO DE JANEIRO (dpa): Leaders of the BRICS group of major emerging economies are meeting in the Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday for a two-day summit.

The BRICS acronym is derived from the initial letters of the founding member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.