"As the BRICS Summit approaches, scheduled
for October 22-24 in Kazan, the capital of the
Republic of Tatarstan, Russia has issued a
statement regarding Türkiye’s application for
full membership in the group.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey
Ryabkov emphasized that BRICS membership
decisions are made unanimously and expressed
respect for Türkiye’s interest in joining. During a
press conference on the summit’s preparations,
Ryabkov was asked about Türkiye’s application.
He stressed the importance of consensus within
BRICS, stating, “We respect Türkiye’s desire to
join, as we do with all countries interested in
systematic engagement with BRICS.”
Ryabkov also confirmed that President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan will attend the 16th BRICS
Summit. He stated, “President Erdoğan has
confirmed his participation in the 16th BRICS
Summit in the ‘Outreach/BRICS+’ format. When
we welcome the Turkish leader in Kazan, the
issue of Ukraine will also be discussed at the
highest level.”
Ryabkov noted that BRICS summits address all
major global issues, with the Ukraine conflict
being a key topic. He added that Russia will use
the platform to reiterate the causes of the crisis,
emphasizing that Moscow considers Türkiye’s
position on the matter."
Available at: https://www.turkiyetoday.com - BRICS summit
to discuss Türkiye’s membership and global issues - Oct 4,
2024
In the sentence "As the BRICS Summit
approaches, scheduled for October 22-24 in
Kazan," which verb tense can be replaced
without changing the meaning?