Leaders of the BRICS countries meet on Saturday for a summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping both expected to attend.
The two-day conference of the group of countries is set to include exchanges on global and regional issues.
The situation in the Middle East is likely to be high on the agenda, including the dispute centred around the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route for oil and fertilizers.
One of the aims of the group, which sees itself as a counterweight to the West, is to align on geopolitical issues.
The members also plan to coordinate more closely on trade, technology development, energy supply and climate policy.
The acronym BRICS stands for the initial letters of the first five members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia are also members.
