Putin to Take Part in BRICS Summit in South Africa via Video Link
Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to participate in the BRICS summit via video conference format, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be present at the event, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik on Wednesday. | "President Putin has decided to participate in the BRICS summit via video conference. He will fully participate in the work. Minister Lavrov will be present at the meeting," Peskov said. Earlier in the day, the South African president's office said that Putin would not attend the upcoming event in person, as the two nations had reached a joint decision on the matter. The summit will be attended by the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa. By mutual agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit but Russia will be represented by the country's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," the office said in a statement.
■ Nearly 50 African states to attend summit in Russia – FM (RT.com)