PRETORIA, June 23. /TASS/. South Africa makes the key decisions regarding the BRICS summit in close coordination with other states, which also includes French President Emmanuel Macron’s request for participation in the summit, the South African Foreign Ministry told TASS Thursday.

"According to the BRICS rules, the organizing chair state defines the agenda and the format of the high-level meeting," the Foreign Ministry representative said. "The chair also invites leaders of states that are not BRICS members for wider meetings on regional or other issues. However, all main formats on the summit’s sidelines must be negotiated with other BRICS member states, and South Africa will observe the tradition of the association. This approach will be used in case leaders of non-BRICS states privately express their desire to arrive at the summit and take part in the events of the summit in Johannesburg.".