Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on Saturday, as Tehran called on the bloc to resist unilateral sanctions.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA released video footage of the meeting between Pezeshkian and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, though it provided no details regarding the discussions between the two sides.
Addressing the summit, Pezeshkian called for BRICS members to resist unilateral sanctions and establish a permanent secretariat to improve the group’s operational effectiveness.
“To enhance efficiency and accelerate the implementation of BRICS decisions, measures such as resisting unilateral sanctions, transforming competition into cooperation and establishing a permanent secretariat are necessary,” Pezeshkian said in his speech, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The Iranian president outlined three main areas supported by Iran within the bloc: strengthening political coordination based on the UN Charter and respect for national sovereignty; developing economic and financial relations independent of “monopolistic instruments”; and expanding cooperation in science, technology, energy, and food security for the benefit of the Global South.
Pezeshkian also addressed the Palestinian issue, describing the realisation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination as “a serious test of the credibility and legitimacy of global governance.”
“Any just solution requires respect for the will of the Palestinian people,” Pezeshkian said, adding that “BRICS, as a voice of justice, must play a more active role in ending the occupation and guaranteeing their legitimate rights.”
The weekend summit in the Indian capital was attended by the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian presidents, alongside other leaders. The gathering comes as the US-Iran war has dragged on for seven months and the Russia-Ukraine war has continued for more than four years. China will take over the rotating BRICS presidency next year after India’s term ends.
