The leaders of the world’s top emerging economies arrived at the western Russian city of Kazan where president Vladimir Putin is hosting the 16th Brics summit, the first gathering of the bloc since its expansion last year.

The BRICS summit in Russia will be the "the largest foreign policy event ever held" by Russia, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov has said. The summit with include 36 countries with over 20 represented by heads of state. Russian President Vladimir Putin has positioned the BRICS summit as a counterweight to the West.