Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said the BRICS group of emerging countries was not meant to challenge other international coalitions such as the G7 or the US, but to "organize" the so-called Global South.
"We do not want to be a counterpoint to the G7, G20 or the United States," Lula said on Tuesday in a live broadcast on social media as he attends the BRICS summit in South Africa.
"We just want to organize ourselves."
The Brazilian president said the group was not rejecting the US dollar, but it was also keen on members states trading using their own currencies.
"We are not rejecting the US dollar, it will continue to exist, but sometimes we can trade in our own currencies," he said.
Diplomatic battleground
The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the club has surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg.
China's President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and some 50 other leaders are attending the summit.
The theme of its 15th summit is "BRICS and Africa" and comes as the continent emerges as a renewed diplomatic battleground with the United States, Russia and China jostling for influence.
Ahead of this summit, at least 40 countries have expressed interest in joining including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Argentina, officials say.
South Africa will present BRICS leaders with a proposal to expand its membership and a decision on the matter is expected at the summit's close.
