The 2024 BRICS Summit will commence today in Kazan, Russia, in one of the preeminent policy meetings in the world. The summit is expected to focus on a variety of strategies to increase the intergovernmental organization’s influence and maximize economic efficiency so that it can continue to compete against the economies of Western nations.

The summit, which leaders from two dozen nations will attend, is the largest event Russia has hosted in years.

President Vladimir Putin will play host to Russia’s biggest gathering of world leaders, including the heads of 32 countries, since the invasion of Ukraine.