Iran holds meeting with BRICS members ahead of South Africa summit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Website
8 Aug 2023 20:09

Amir-Abdollahian says Iran's membership in an expanded BRICS will be of huge benefit to the organization.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pose for a photo prior to their talks on the sideline of the BRICS economic bloc of developing nations in Cape Town, South Africa, June 2, 2023 (AP)

The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, revealed that Iran is working closely with BRICS founding members China and India ahead of Tehran's expected accession into the organization, adding that Iran will provide huge benefits for the economic group.

During his address at the "Iran and BRICS" conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian expressed his pleasure in regard to the work done between BRICS and the Iranian government, particularly that of cooperation and mutual consultation between the two. Amir-Abdollahian praised the organization for the economic growth that its members have witnessed, in addition to the "increased global trust" in the virtues of joining the economic bloc.

The top diplomat said the achievements of BRICS are evident in the "great interest" of nations in the Global South who seek to join the organization.

"We have seen that the share of BRICS in the global GDP and trade between them has been increasing, and efforts to reduce the cost of bilateral trade, including the desire to use local currencies, are considered an important step in this direction," the Iranian Minister stated.

Amir-Abdollahian pointed to the possibility of introducing a new BRICS development bank, saying it would play an important role in "completing the global financial, banking, monetary systems."

For the Iranian diplomat, BRICS can lead intra-south cooperation and fill in the gaps created by the Western-controlled international banking systems by creating structures and mechanisms that serve countries other than the five founding members. He viewed the creation of such systems as intrinsic to the development of BRICS from a transcontinental organization to an international one.

What role will Iran play in BRICS?

The top diplomat highlighted Iran's long-standing approach toward multilateralism in regard to the international system, saying its approach "is not just a reaction to unilateralism," but it is a choice of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Foreign Minister also pointed to the cooperation between Iran and BRICS on the North-South corridor, highlighting the fact that cooperation with China specifically has connected Beijing to the Oman Sea through the Gulf.

He added that Iran can link and even act as a transportation hub that links China to South Africa and even Brazil. Iran, alongside other energy-rich countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the UAE, will strengthen the economic position of the bloc and ensure long-lasting energy security for the organization, the official added.

In the upcoming BRICS summit set to take place in South Africa on August 22, Iran and other nations are expected to be part of the awaited expansion of the transcontinental organization.

While no official confirmation has been made regarding the countries set to be welcomed into the BRICS fold during its 15th annual summit, sources within the Indian government, as cited by Sputnik, suggest that BRICS members have indeed come to a consensus on discussing the possibility of expanding their memberships in the run-up to the summit.

Previously, Anil Sooklal, BRICS' ambassador from South Africa, revealed that twenty-two nations, including Iran, have formally applied to join the BRICS organization, and another twenty-two have informally expressed interest in joining the bloc.