The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit is an annual international relations conference attended by the heads of state or heads of government of the five member states. The first formal summit was held in 2009, and since then, member countries have taken turns to host the summit. The most recent summit, the 15th BRICS summit, was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22-24, 2023.

The BRICS bloc is often seen as a counterweight to the Western-led world, and the groups expansion has been described as a way to counter Western dominance. At the 15th summit, the six new member countries that were admitted to the group were Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who will officially join the group in January 2024.

The BRICS summit is important because it brings together countries that collectively encompass a substantial segment of global emerging markets. Originally, the countries came together as a grouping in the late 2000s to coalesce around issues of finance, development, and trade. The summit provides an opportunity for member countries to discuss how they can better cooperate in the future.

In summary, the BRICS summit is an annual international relations conference attended by the heads of state or heads of government of the five member states, and it provides an opportunity for member countries to discuss issues related to finance, development, and trade. The groups expansion has been described as a way to counter Western dominance, and the most recent summit saw the admission of six new member countries.