UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be heading to the BRICS summit in South Africa to discuss the importance of international cooperation, climate change and other issues, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
"Secretary-General of the UN will be heading to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the 15th summit of the BRICS," Dujarric told reporters, adding that Guterres will leave New York on Tuesday evening. "He will deliver a clear message that in a fracturing world overwhelmed by crisis, there is no credible alternative to cooperation."
When asked about the BRICS extension, Dujarric said that it is up to the group to decide who becomes a member.
On the first day of the summit, August 22, a business forum will be held, with heads of state addressing participants at the final session in the evening. After that, the BRICS leaders will meet each other in a closed session.
The BRICS summit will take place in Johannesburg from Tuesday to Thursday.