S. Africa Hails Iran’s Membership in BRICS

In a meeting on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his South African counterpart Ramaphosa weighed plans to enhance relations between the two states within the framework of the bloc. They also discussed the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Pezeshkian stated that South Africa's name in the world is intertwined with the late South African leader Nelson Mandela and the struggle against injustice and oppression, describing the African country's fair viewpoint on West Asian issues and the war in Gaza as a reflection of Mandela's quest for equality.

Pezeshkian noted that Iran seeks peace and tranquility in the region, but the Western countries, including the US, and the Zionist regime, are preventing establishment of regional peace by imposing sanctions and waging wars.

The Iranian president further said that a distorted interpretation of human rights and crimes is being witnessed in the world, and that the increasing influence of the BRICS group can correct the current unjust relations, his official website reported.

Pezeshkian added that Iran’s membership in BRICS can help reduce the impact of unilateralism and unfair sanctions.

Ramaphosa, for his part, emphasized that Iran's membership in BRICS strengthens the bloc, saying that the group seeks development of all world countries and rejects unilateral development achieved at the cost of the interests of others.

The South African president also said that the Palestinian people should decide their own future, adding that his country has always supported and will continue to support the freedom and rights of the Palestinians.

South Africa is seriously pursuing the case of the Palestinian people's lawsuit against Israel, as the fight against apartheid is a responsibility, Ramaphosa added.