Iran Seeks Deeper Engagement with BRICS and SCO

Iran is moving to expand its cooperation with the BRICS group of emerging economies and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as part of a wider strategy to strengthen multilateral ties, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday.

Kazem Gharibabadi told the first meeting of Iran’s coordination committee for BRICS and SCO affairs that Tehran was launching new initiatives in cooperation with the BRICS Business Council to boost bilateral interactions with member states, The Caspian Post reports, citing IRNA.

“This same approach must also be applied to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Gharibabadi said. “This issue is not limited to the private sector; government institutions and executive bodies must also take it into account.”

He said international organizations and multilateral frameworks offer valuable platforms for dialogue among like-minded countries and should be seen as more than venues for issuing declarations.

Gharibabadi noted that both BRICS and the SCO are characterized by consensus and a lack of internal disputes, offering a “unique opportunity” for Iran to pursue its foreign policy objectives.

One of the main reasons the Islamic Republic sought membership in these organizations was its commitment to multilateralism, he said. “In our foreign policy, strengthening multilateral arrangements and utilizing the capacities of such organizations - especially those aligned with the Global South - is of great importance.”