Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor has insisted that Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi's likely attendance at the BRICS Summit does not mean the group is becoming pro-Russian or anti-Western.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, Russia's close military ally, will probably attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa from 22-24 August. Iran has also formally applied to join BRICS, along with Cuba, Venezuela and 20 other countries.

But this does not mean BRICS is becoming pro-Russian or anti-Western, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor insists.

Pandor confirmed on Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva would attend the summit in Sandton in person.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend in person but would "actively participate" in most of the sessions virtually. He cannot attend as he is under a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Pandor firmly denied reports that Modi had been reluctant to attend in person -- mainly because of tensions with China -- and that it was only a call from President Cyril Ramaphosa late last week that persuaded him to come. Pandor said the call had been scheduled before reports emerged that Modi might not come to South Africa.

Pandor said that 67 other leaders from Africa and the Global South had also been invited...