JOHANNESBURG, August 24. /TASS/. Iran's accession to the BRICS group will allow it to move to a new stage of development, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said while addressing a meeting of the BRICS Summit and its partners in the BRICS-Africa and BRICS Plus Dialogue.

"There is no doubt that the decision to expand BRICS is a significant step that paves the way for global integration based on equality. Our membership will start a new chapter in the history of BRICS and will be a step towards sustainable and lasting world peace," Raisi said.

The 15th BRICS summit was held in Johannesburg on August 22-24 under the presidency of South Africa. It was the largest meeting of the heads of state and government of the Global South in recent years. The leaders of 54 African countries were among those invited. The summit’s participants agreed that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE would join the association as of January 1, 2024. A new list of possible members will be prepared for the next summit.