By Lisandra Paraguassu and Manuela Andreoni RIO DE JANEIRO -Leaders of the growing BRICS group of developing nations met in Brazil on Sunday, calling for reform of traditional Western institutions while presenting the bloc as a defender of multilateral diplomacy in an increasingly fractured world.

BRICS leaders are meeting in Brazil for a two-day summit. But China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin are skipping the gathering.

Leaders and representatives from the BRICS alliance will convene on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro for the 17th annual summit of the group, where they are anticipated to discuss significant topics such as trade,