Iranian President to attend BRICS summit in Russia, meet Putin
The Iranian ambassador to Moscow says the two presidents will meet at the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to attend the BRICS summit in Russia in October and will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the event's sideline, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said on Saturday according to Mehr News agency.
Scheduled to occur from October 22 to 24, this year’s BRICS summit will be hosted by Russia, which currently chairs the organization.
Read more: Algeria's bid to join BRICS New Development Bank approved: Ministry
BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents some of the world’s most significant emerging economies. At the start of this year, the group welcomed new members: Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia has also been invited to join but has yet to accept.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that NATO member state Turkey applied to join the BRICS, a move that reflects Ankara's desire to diversify its alliances beyond traditional Western partners.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will become a "strong, prosperous, prestigious, and effective country if it improves its relations with the East and the West simultaneously," adding: "Any method other than this will not benefit Turkey, but will harm it."
Further discussions on BRICS expansion are expected at a summit in Kazan, including the recent applications submitted by Malaysia and Azerbaijan to join.
Read more: Nigeria's plans to join BRICS in line with its philosophy: Official