News - Middle East: Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has highlighted the significant role of BRICS in driving global economic growth, saying the Islamic Republic can be a “reliable and influential” partner of the five-member bloc of emerging economies.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in the closing ceremony of the BRICS summit, dubbed “Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation”, at the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies in the capital, Tehran, on Tuesday.
“The creation of BRICS is definitely a step forward in the relations between the emerging economies and the Global South,” Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that the economic and political alliances in the developing world aim to strengthen their bargaining power during international negotiations, especially at the United Nations.
The top Iranian diplomat stressed that BRICS represents a powerful economic and political synergy with the potential to influence regional and global developments.
“It is the first time that a strong and effective politico-economic identity has been created in the developing world,” Amir-Abdollahian said. “We believe that if the idea of   BRICS expansion becomes a reality, this identity will become more coherent and global.”
He added that the economic growth of BRICS has strengthened the self-confidence of the member states and increased the global confidence in its effectiveness.
The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that interaction with multilateral institutions has always been a key priority for the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s efforts to expedite its membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, deepen its relations with the Eurasian Economic Union to establish a free trade zone, and its request for BRICS membership all align with its commitment to a strong multilateralism policy, he said. 

“Iran is a reliable and influential partner in bilateral and multilateral cooperation thanks to its strategic and unique geographical location, huge energy reserves, especially oil and gas, cheap and short transportation and transit network, young and expert manpower and modern scientific and technological achievements,” he noted.