News - Middle East: Iran's foreign minister has said that the members of the BRICS group of emerging economies have welcomed the Islamic Republic's potential accession to the powerful bloc.

"Given Iran's geopolitical position and capacities, the BRICS' main members welcomed Iran's accession to the group," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Cape Town on Friday.
The top diplomat was describing the achievements of his earlier participation in the Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in the South African capital, to which he had been invited.
BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group's members host around half of the world's population besides representing one-fifth of the global economy.
Iran is among more than a dozen countries that seek membership in the bloc and has submitted a formal application to join the body.
The Islamic Republic has described its objectives as in alignment with those of the BRICS countries.