BRASILIA, July 16. /ITAR-TASS/. The leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group and South American countries have begun an outreach meeting in Brasilia.

Such meetings, held for the first time at last year’s BRICS summit in South Africa, when the BRICS presidents met with the leaders of the African Union and eight other leading African integration associations, have proved useful, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

“I think such contacts with the leaders of different regions help to boost the authority of our association,” he said.

Putin is participating in an outreach meeting and a working breakfast arranged by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for the leaders of Russia, India, China, South Africa and South American countries. They all posed for a collective photo before the meeting.

Putin will also hold bilateral talks with South American leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.