Iran reliable, influential partner of BRICS: FM

TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Tuesday that his country is a "reliable and influential" partner of the BRICS bloc.

He made the remarks at the end of a conference titled "Iran and BRICS: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation" in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

The foreign minister praised the positive condition of Iran's political and economic connections with BRICS nations, highlighting the importance of enhancing economic bonds among all parties.

Referring to Iran's expressed interest in becoming a member of the five-country coalition through a letter in June, Amir-Abdollahian stated that collaboration between Iran and BRICS has already begun in specific sectors, such as energy and transportation.

"Iran is a reliable and influential partner in bilateral and multilateral cooperation thanks to its strategic and unique geographical location, huge energy reserves, especially oil and gas, cheap and short transportation and transit network, young and expert manpower and modern scientific and technological achievements," he noted.

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