Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy aide to Putin, stated that 36 countries have confirmed their participation, with over 20 planning to send their heads of state, the Associated Press reported. The 2024 summit coincides with the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, the two Bretton-Woods institutions that BRICS positions itself as an alternative to.

The summit, which leaders from two dozen nations will attend, is the largest event Russia has hosted in years.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed his country’s growing relations with Russia as he met President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit of emerging powers.