RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding a meeting with Bolivian President Luis Arce on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Before the meeting, Lavrov and Arce exchanged greetings and shook hands. The meeting is being held behind closed doors.

Rio de Janeiro is hosting the BRICS summit on July 6 and 7. Lavrov is heading the Russian delegation.

Established in 2006, the BRIC group was made up of Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2011, South Africa joined the group, adding the "S" to the acronym. Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia joined the association as full-fledged members from January 1, 2024. Indonesia joined it on January 6, 2025. Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, and Uzbekistan enjoy the status of partner countries.