Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (center) attends a meeting during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Aug 24, 2023. ( PHOTO / AP)

TEHRAN - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised the BRICS members' decision on Thursday to broaden the group, hailing it as a commendable step that will facilitate worldwide development while upholding principles of justice.

He made the remarks at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, after the group invited Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to become new members, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president's office.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday hailed BRICS for playing an independent and effective role with a great willingness globally, which makes it a favorable target for Iran in pursuit of promoting multilateralism

BRICS is an acronym for five emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Raisi expressed his confidence that Iran's inclusion in BRICS will create a historic impact, marking a pivotal milestone in advancing principles of justice and ethics, and ultimately fostering enduring global peace.

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He outlined the rise of hegemonic ambitions, injustice, disparities, and moral crises as contributors to the intricate global landscape.

Highlighting the urgency of tackling pressing issues like famine, climate change, and dwindling energy resources, Raisi underscored the necessity for collaborative initiatives and unity to establish a just system based on shared interests.

Raisi described BRICS as the symbol of such a change in global relations that can help resolve the international community's problems, especially as the global trust in the group is increasing. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday hailed BRICS for playing an independent and effective role with a great willingness globally, which makes it a favorable target for Iran in pursuit of promoting multilateralism.

Amir-Abdollahian added that the BRICS countries, home to more than 3 billion people, equal to 40 percent of the world's population, and with a total area as big as one-third of the Earth's, possess important cooperation with Iran.

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He listed Iran's capacities that can benefit the BRICS members as its geopolitical and geostrategic location, rich energy resources, skilled, specialized and efficient workforce, eye-catching advances in different areas and political stability.

Amir-Abdollahian also said the US withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in 2018, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other international developments have well proved the negative function of the traditional international coalitions.

He stressed that adhering to the principle of pluralism through cooperation with diverse international mechanisms can be a favorable option for countries to safeguard their maximum interests.