Iran Urges BRICS to Push for Regional Peace

President Pezeshkian made the comments at the First Extended-format Meeting of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday.

“Inclusive and global welfare and economic development can only be achieved and realized in light of peace and security for all”, he said, adding that what is currently taking place in Palestine and Lebanon is the continuation of war and violence as a result of denying their people the right to exercise sovereignty on their ancestral land.

“The continuation of this situation will undoubtedly put the world at risk of spreading war and insecurity. Therefore, I request all the respected members of the influential BRICS group to use all their collective and individual capacities to stop the war in Gaza and Lebanon… and reduce tension in the region,” Pezeshkian said, his official website reported.

The Iranian president noted that the ideals set after the Cold War to create a fair, secure and prosperous world are yet to be achieved amid unilateralism practiced by certain countries, which threatens the foundation of global peace and cooperation.

Western unilateralism has resulted in different wars, the painful of which is the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon, he said, noting that the West’s unilateralism, in addition to war and terrorism, has resulted in an unprecedented use of economic and political sanctions against other countries.

The Iranian president further said that the formation of BRICS has in the past 15 years provided countries with the opportunity to not tie their fate to demands of Western powers and pave the way for a broader participation of the emerging powers in global economic governance.

Pezeshkian stated that independent countries can no longer pay the price for the wrong financial policies of the US or its ineffectiveness to fight organized corruption, emphasizing that efforts made so far to reduce the dominance of the dollar on global economy should be enhanced through practical solutions.

President Pezeshkian called on BRICS to act more seriously to pursue its aim of making unheard voices heard in the global community, amid problems currently faced by the world, from food insecurity to climate change and debt crises, which he said have affected developing countries and the Global South more than any part of the world.

“We believe in BRICS’s ideals for reforming global governance, multilateralism, promoting peace, security and inclusive economic growth, creating transparency and strengthening democracy in global financial institutes”, the president said, adding that Iran will for its part make efforts so that BRICS, away from politicization and geopolitical disputes, carry out its task of reforming the world's economic governance structure and creating alternative opportunities for the development and prosperity of countries in the Global South.

Pezeshkian also called on BRICS member countries to boost mutual cooperation and health competition as a main principle in their ties, and also provide the necessary tools to guarantee the implementation of their decisions.

The Iranian president proposed that BRICS member states launch a common e-commerce platform in order to facilitate the sale of products and to reduce dependence on international markets.

He finally proposed the launch of smart transportation systems in industrial and economic zones of BRICS to help improve logistics and reduce delays in delivery of goods.