<p>As leaders from the five BRICS nations, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of invitees, gather here for the BRICS Summit March 26-27, Africa will be the focus at the 5th edition.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In fact, the theme of the event itself is: "Brics and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation", with a formal BRICS-Africa dialogue scheduled Wednesdy.<br />The dialogue, according to members of the Indian delegation here, will see the presence of the chairs of all the eight Regional Economic Communities of Africa, besides other committees.<br /><br />The countries expected to be represented include Senegal, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and Libya. "In all there will be 10-12 heads of state or government from Africa," an official said.<br /><br />The officials, however, ruled out any immediate move to expand BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - even as some countries such as Egypt and Indonesia have informally sought to join the bloc.<br /><br />"There is no talk of BRICS expansion as yet," an official said, adding if a formal request is indeed made, it will be first discussed among the sherpas of the five nations before coming up before the leaders.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>As leaders from the five BRICS nations, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of invitees, gather here for the BRICS Summit March 26-27, Africa will be the focus at the 5th edition.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In fact, the theme of the event itself is: "Brics and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation", with a formal BRICS-Africa dialogue scheduled Wednesdy.<br />The dialogue, according to members of the Indian delegation here, will see the presence of the chairs of all the eight Regional Economic Communities of Africa, besides other committees.<br /><br />The countries expected to be represented include Senegal, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and Libya. "In all there will be 10-12 heads of state or government from Africa," an official said.<br /><br />The officials, however, ruled out any immediate move to expand BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - even as some countries such as Egypt and Indonesia have informally sought to join the bloc.<br /><br />"There is no talk of BRICS expansion as yet," an official said, adding if a formal request is indeed made, it will be first discussed among the sherpas of the five nations before coming up before the leaders.<br /><br /><br /></p>