RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JULY 7, 2025 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed a session of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, July 6. The plenary session was on "Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence”. The 17th BRICS summit opened Sunday in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, bringing together leaders from major emerging economies for talks on global security, governance reform, and strengthening cooperation across the Global South. The two-day gathering, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, comes as geopolitical tensions mount over the war in Ukraine, the second year of genocide in Gaza, and recent Israeli and US strikes on Iran, a BRICS member since 2024. BRICS was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran later joined, expanding the group to 11 members, alongside 10 strategic partner countries. The alliance aims to create alternative financial mechanisms, reduce dollar dependency, and increase Global South representation in international institutions, challenging Western-led governance structures.