MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at the BRICS online summit will be open to the media, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The spokesman told reporters that the BRICS online summit is expected to begin at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time (1:00 p.m. GMT). Peskov said that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may speak at the beginning on the summit, but it is unknown whether his speech will be open to the media. "As for President Putin's speech, it will be available [to the media], we will make it open," Peskov pointed out.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, "there will be a very important extraordinary BRICS summit, which was initiated by the South African presidency on the topic of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, on the situation around Gaza." "The voice of BRICS in the already new, expanded format should be heard in the world, so there will be speeches by heads of state," he said.

"We expect to adopt a joint statement following the results of this summit, which will be held in videoconference format," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

The press service of the South African president, who chairs the association this year, previously reported that the leaders will discuss, in particular, the situation in the Palestinian sector of the Gaza Strip. In addition to Brazil, Russia, India and China, representatives of the countries that will become full members of the association from January 1, 2024 have been invited to participate in the summit: Argentina, Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also attend the meeting.