Iran parl. speaker departs for S Africa to attend BRICS event

Before departing for South Africa, Ghalibaf said that he would be visiting Johannesburg at the invitation of his South African counterpart.

The BRICS PF is very influential at the regional and international level, he added.

This is a favorable parliamentary opportunity for the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in this forum with the approach of multilateralism and regional and international relations, Ghalibaf stressed.

Iran was invited to join BRICS in August, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Egypt.

Iran applied for full membership in the bloc in June 2022, days after Raeisi was invited to address the BRICS Plus summit.

BRICS is a geopolitical bloc with five member states – Russia, China, Brazil, India, and South Africa – which account for 42% of the world population.

The BRICS PF is a structure that brings together the leaders of the legislative organs of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). The upcoming Assembly aims to deepen collaboration, partnership, and progress under the theme "Harnessing Multilateralism and Parliamentary Diplomacy to Deepen BRICS and Africa Partnership for Accelerated Implementation of the Africa Free-Trade Agreement."

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