President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the invitation of South African mate Cyril Ramaphosa, left Ghana on Tuesday, 22 August 2023, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit, which is being held in Johannesburg, South Africa from today to 24 August 2023.

The summit will be attended by the leaders of Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

BRICS is a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa formed by the 2010 addition of South Africa to the predecessor BRIC.

While the BRICS Summit is a meeting of Heads of State and government, there is also an extensive business programme arranged around the Summit culminating in the BRICS Business Forum.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver a statement at the summit.

He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and officials of the presidency and Foreign Ministry.

Mr Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Friday, 25 August 2023.

Till then, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia acts in his stead, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the 1992 Constitution.