WANA (Oct 23) – The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing that BRICS should act more earnestly towards its goal of amplifying unheard voices in the global community, said: “We believe in the ideals of BRICS for reforming global governance, promoting multilateralism, and inclusive economic growth, and we are determined to play our part to ensure BRICS moves forward successfully, free from political bias and geopolitical conflicts.”

 

Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking today, Wednesday, at the first summit of BRICS with its expanded composition (Greater BRICS), stated that BRICS institutions like the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, with the inclusion of new members, must take on greater responsibility in financing the projects of member countries and addressing imbalances in payments. He stressed that each member of BRICS should view the progress and development of others as their own and emphasized that healthy competition and mutual cooperation should be a central principle among members. Moreover, BRICS should not merely be a forum for dialogue; its decisions must be enforceable, and appropriate tools for their realization must be established.

 

The Iranian president also highlighted that global prosperity and inclusive economic development can only be achieved in the context of universal peace and security. He added, “What we are witnessing today in Palestine and Lebanon is the deepening of the foundations of war and violence by ignoring the basic rights of people who want nothing more than sovereignty over their ancestral lands. Continuing this situation will undoubtedly keep the world at risk of further insecurity and war. Therefore, I call on all esteemed members and the influential BRICS community to use all collective and individual capacities to stop the war in Gaza and Lebanon, address the needs of refugees, and reduce tensions in the region.”

 

The full text of Masoud Pezeshkian’s speech is as follows:

 

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

 

Dear Mr. Vladimir Putin, Honorable President of the Russian Federation

 

Distinguished Presidents of BRICS member countries

 

Your Excellencies

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Today, we hold the first summit of the new or Greater BRICS while many hopes for creating a more just, secure, and prosperous world in the post-Cold War era have yet to be realized. The desire for domination and unilateralism continues to threaten the foundations of global peace and cooperation like a deadly disease.

 

Over the more than three decades since the collapse of the bipolar system, it has become clear that, from the perspective of Western powers, peace, democracy, prosperity, and development can only be achieved through the paths defined by them. This monopolistic view has so far resulted in increased violence, war, and terrorism on one hand, and an unprecedented use of economic and political sanctions on the other.

 

According to available statistics, in the last two years alone, the United States has imposed more than three times as many sanctions on other countries as in the previous decade. The other side of Western unilateralism has been various wars, the most cruel and painful of which are currently ongoing in Occupied Palestine and Lebanon.

 

The formation, continuation, and expansion of BRICS over the past 15 years have provided an opportunity for countries and the global community to not tie their destinies solely to the desires and inclinations of Western powers and to explore ways for broader participation of all emerging powers in global economic governance.

 

Efforts to reduce the dominance of the dollar over the global economy must be strengthened and operationalized through practical measures, including the creation of a BRICS currency basket or a new settlement mechanism independent of the dollar. Independent countries can no longer bear the costs of the United States’ misguided financial policies or its inability to combat organized corruption in its financial sector.

 

Today’s world faces numerous challenges in areas such as food security, climate change, debt crises, the North-South divide, and many others. Addressing these challenges, which have disproportionately affected developing countries and the Global South, must involve their active participation. BRICS must work more earnestly towards its goal of amplifying unheard voices in the global community and effectively pursue dialogue mechanisms with other countries.

 

We believe in the ideals of BRICS for reforming global governance, promoting multilateralism, fostering peace, security, and inclusive economic growth, increasing transparency, and strengthening democracy in global financial institutions. The Islamic Republic of Iran, for its part, will diligently strive to ensure that BRICS, free from political bias and geopolitical disputes, successfully advances the task of reforming the structure of global economic governance and creating alternative opportunities for the development and prosperity of Global South countries.

 

BRICS institutions like the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, with the inclusion of new members, must take on greater responsibility in financing the projects of member countries and addressing payment imbalances. Each member of BRICS should view the progress and development of others as their own, and healthy competition and mutual cooperation should be a central principle among members.

 

BRICS should not just be a forum for dialogue. Its decisions must be enforceable, and appropriate tools for their realization must be devised. The growth of economic cooperation, including the level of investment and mutual trade among BRICS members, can be assessed annually as a measure of the success or failure of BRICS. To this end, establishing a center for gathering, consolidating, and evaluating the economic data of member countries is essential.

 

Launching a joint e-commerce platform for BRICS countries to facilitate the buying and selling of products between them, reducing dependency on international markets, developing and implementing international mobile payment systems based on the national currencies of BRICS countries, and launching smart transport systems in BRICS industrial and economic zones, which would use real-time data and artificial intelligence to improve logistics and reduce delivery delays, are among other topics that should receive greater attention in BRICS decision-making.

 

In conclusion, while thanking the people and government of Russia for their hospitality and extensive efforts in hosting this summit and for their leadership of BRICS in 2024, I once again stress that global prosperity and inclusive economic development can only be achieved in the context of universal peace and security. What we are witnessing today in Palestine and Lebanon is the deepening of the foundations of war and violence through the denial of the basic rights of people who want nothing more than sovereignty over their ancestral lands. Continuing this situation will undoubtedly keep the world at risk of further insecurity and war. Therefore, I call on all esteemed members and the influential BRICS community to use all collective and individual capacities to stop the war in Gaza and Lebanon, address the needs of refugees, and reduce tensions in the region.

 

With gratitude and hope for a future meeting