Eurasia Press & News
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed Iran’s possible membership of the BRICS.
“The parties discussed issues related to cooperation in international and regional affairs, particularly taking into account Iran’s full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its interest in joining the BRICS group,” the Kremlin press service said.
In an attempt to break its international isolation, Iran launched a campaign months ago for its accession to the BRICS group.
The BRICS grouping of emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – will discuss its possible expansion at a summit in South Africa next month.
TASS news agency added that Putin and Raisi reaffirmed their support for further developing bilateral trade, transport, and logistics relations.
The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the current high level of Russian-Iranian relations.
Earlier this month, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov visited Tehran, discussing Iran’s aspirations to join BRICS with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani.
Ryabkov told reporters his country will support Tehran’s request, but joining BRICS takes time.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Pretoria and discussed with his South African counterpart the path of Iran’s accession to the BRICS group.
Raisi will travel to Johannesburg to participate in the BRICS summit to push his country’s efforts. It is still being determined whether the Russian president will participate in the summit.
