An Iranian official said on Monday that Iran has submitted an application to become a member of the group of emerging economies known as the BRICS.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Iran’s membership in the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, “would result in added values for both sides.”
Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed that Argentina had also applied to join the group, though Argentinian officials have not commented on the matter.
Currently on a tour in Europe, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez has in recent days reiterated his desire for Argentina to join BRICS.
Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app that, “While the White House was thinking about what else to turn off in the world, ban or spoil, Argentina and Iran applied to join the BRICS.”
Forging closer ties with Asia, South America, and the Middle East has been pushed by Russia. However, since its invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Russia has recently intensified its efforts to weather sanctions imposed by Europe, the United States and other countries.
