Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, coordinator of Interregional Mechanisms of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry Ana Maria Bierrenbach and South African BRICS Sherpa Anil Sooklal attend a family photo opportunity before a meeting of sherpas and sous-sherpas of the BRICS countries in Moscow, Russia. BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for the world's largest emerging economies. Initially, the bloc united Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Last summer, their leaders invited Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to join the bloc.
