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BRICS, SCO can play major roles as unilateralism coming to end: Tehran

Sunday, 04 June 2023 10:19 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 04 June 2023 10:19 AM ]

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (C) poses for a group photograph with counterparts from participating states in foreign ministerial BRICS summit and a ‘Friends of BRICS’ meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, on May 2, 2023. (File photo by Iran Foreign Ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the era of unilateralism is coming to an end, and that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group of countries will play major roles in the future as a new world order is emerging.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a Persian-language post published on his Instagram page on Sunday.

He said he had met 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, where he attended a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting and a 'Friends of BRICS' meeting.

The senior diplomat highlighted that important bilateral, international and economic issues were discussed during the meetings.

He also described Friends of BRICS as friends of multilateralism. "Nowadays, all independent countries have realized that they should not rely on one political bloc in international relations," he said.

He added, "The era of unilateralism is ending, and coalitions like the SCO and BRICS can have a significant role in future partnerships."

BRICS members welcome Iran's potential accession: FM Amir-Abdollahian

Iran says the members of the BRICS group of emerging economies have welcomed the Islamic Republic

The chief Iranian diplomat highlighted that the BRICS group of countries has found an important position in international affairs due to its credibility and its efforts to address the shortcomings of the international system and promote multilateralism.

“This position will be further strengthened with the accession of other regional and aligned heavyweights [to the grouping],” he added.

"Iran, with its unique geopolitical location and its remarkable economic capacities, can be an important partner for BRICS. We will not miss any opportunity to secure our national interests," he said.

The SCO was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. It is the world's largest regional market with eight official members and three observer states.

Iran started a formal process to join the bloc in March 2020 and its membership was later approved by the Iranian government. Iran signed a memorandum of commitment for joining the SCO in mid-September 2022.

Iran’s objectives are in alignment with BRICS’s goals: FM Amir-Abdollahian

The Iranian foreign minister was addressing a meeting of the Friends of BRICS Foreign Ministers in Cape Town.

The BRICS group includes five emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - which account for about half of the world's population and 30 percent of its land area

The significance of this group and its leading role in the world economy has caused several countries including Iran to show their tendency to join the trade and economic organization.

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