Vietnam is following the expansion of BRICS and will attend the organization's 15th summit at the end of August, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Senior officials from the BRICS founding member states at a conference in late July. Photo: Xinhua/VNA

The Southeast Asian country will send a delegation to join 70 other nations at the summit hosted by South Africa, ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang told a press conference on August 17.

Vietnam is an active member of the international community with an independent and multilateral foreign policy, she said.

The country is willing to join and make positive contributions to multilateral forums and organizations in the world, Hang added.

"Like other nations, we are following the discussions on the expansion of BRICS. Vietnam is invited to attend the BRICS summit as a guest country," she said.

BRICS is a transcontinental economic organization founded in June 2009 by six economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The organization accounts for 42% of the world's population, 30% of the global land area, 23% of its GDP and 18% of trade.

The 15th BRICS Summit will be held on August 22-24 in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city.