Brazil's President Lula da Silva to skip BRICS Summit, citing health concerns

Instead, he'll join the conference via video link.

The Brazilian President office in a statement said, "President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on medical advice, will not travel to the BRICS Summit in Kazan, due to a temporary ban on long-haul air travel."

The statement added, "The president will participate in the BRICS Summit via videoconference and will have a normal work schedule this week in Brasilia, at the Planalto Palace."

Meanwhile, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will lead the Brazilian delegation at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, filling in for President Lula da Silva.

Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Minister Mauro Vieira has been appointed to lead the Brazilian delegation that will participate in the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The Minister will travel tonight to participate in the meeting."

"President Lula will participate virtually in the session of heads of state of the member countries," it added.

Notably, the leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St Petersburg, Russia in 2006. After a series of high-level meetings, the first BRIC summit was held in Russia's Yekaterinburg in 2009.

BRIC group was renamed as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers' meeting in New York in September 2010.

On January 1 this year, BRICS admitted four new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin from October 22-23 to attend the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan.

This will be the second visit of PM Modi to Russia this year. He had earlier visited the Russian Federation in July, in his first bilateral visit since assuming office for the third term. (ANI)