News - Middle East: Iran’s Foreign Minister says the Islamic Republic’s active presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group of countries proves that the policy of isolating Iran has fallen through.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gave an exclusive interview to Press TV following meetings with his counterparts from Brazil, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, the Comoros, and Gabon on the sidelines of his two-day visit to Cape Town, South Africa, to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of the BRICS group of emerging economies

“Iran’s active presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in the Eurasian Economic Union, and recently in BRICS, shows the global policy of isolating Iran has failed,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

“Countries and alliances act based on their own interests. Our clear and outright message is that the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be isolated and sidelined.”
The top Iranian diplomat underscored Tehran’s geopolitical and geostrategic status and said the Islamic Republic is implacably against unilateralism.
“We strongly oppose unilateralism, and at the same time make the most out of the existing opportunities within the framework of multilateralism,” Amir-Abdollahian said. “Moreover, Iran enjoys a principal status in the region geopolitically, geo-economically and geo-strategically,” he said.
“Iran lies on the major transit route linking the north and the south, as well as the east and the west. We enjoy a whole range of advantages and facilities, and the other parties benefit from this interaction, too.”
‘BRICS focusing on enhancing multilateralism’
In his interview, Amir-Abdollahian said BRICS was an organization that focuses on the enhancement of multilateralism. He said the five countries which are the key member states of BRICS make up over three billion of the world’s population and cover virtually a fourth of the earth’s surface.
“That shows how influential the BRICS countries are when it comes to focusing on multilateralism, and that is why the Islamic Republic of Iran attaches special significance to BRICS.”
Amir-Abdollahian said the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi has since taking office been trying to tap into the potential of the regional, economic, political and security alliances, which can further secure Iran’s national interest within the framework of multilateralism.

“We began following up on Iran’s membership in BRICS last year. The five key member states of BRICS, namely Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa, accepted Iran’s basic proposal that new members join BRICS,” he said.

“We are scheduled to receive the regulations and protocol put forward by the BRICS members and, accordingly, adopt the necessary measures within that framework. But based on the talks I held with foreign ministers of the key member states, they have seriously prioritized Iran as a potential new member.”
Amir-Abdollahian lauded Iran’s potential membership in BRICS and said, “We will be able to utilize the potentialities of BRICS in order to promote multilateralism to increase trade with member states and enhance economic cooperation to benefit the Iranian nation.”