TEHRAN: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will embark on a visit to Johannesburg on Wednesday to attend the summit of BRICS leaders, Iranian state agency IRNA reported on Monday.
Raisi has been invited by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the 15th summit of BRICS.
Five BRICS members- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa- and their allies will meet in Johannesburg on August 22-24 to discuss ways to further strengthen the group of major emerging economies.
Raisi Set to Attend BRICS Summit in South Africa
Leaders from more than 70 countries have been invited to participate in the summit, and the Iranian president is expected to meet with several leaders on the sidelines of the conference separately.
Iran is among the countries that seek BRICS membership and has submitted a formal application to join the group.
Last month, Iran officially joined Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional trade and security alliance based in Beijing, as a ninth member.
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Iranian officials have said Tehran’s full membership in the SCO and potential accession to BRICS will help promote multilateralism and counter unilateral policies of the West, including economic sanctions.
According to the South African-based Institute for Security Studies, BRICS represents 26% of the world’s GDP and 42% of the world’s population.
In July, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated that Iran’s potential membership in BRICS would promote multilateralism and challenge unilateral measures.
