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Iran joins SCO, BRICS, despite pressure from foreign countries — diplomat

Ali Bagheri Kani noted that the "policy of pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran is not new" and "the stronger the pressure on the Iranian people, the better they [cope with it] and transform threats into opportunities"

BEIRUT, June 4. /TASS/. Iran became a full-fledged participant of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group despite pressure on the part of other countries, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani said.

"Despite external pressure, Iran joined the SCO and BRICS. Despite pressure on the part of the US, Iran managed to help Syria and Iraq eradicate terrorism," the diplomat said at a joint press conference with his Syrian colleague Faisal Mekdad in Damascus aired by Iran’s SNN TV channel.

He noted that the "policy of pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran is not new" and "the stronger the pressure on the Iranian people, the better they [cope with it] and transform threats into opportunities."

On June 4, Iranian acting Foreign Minister arrived in the Syrian capital from Beirut where on June 3 he held talks with the Lebanese leadership on the situation in the Gaza Strip. The diplomat said the goal of his Middle Eastern tour was "continued support for the Palestinian resistance" and a standoff with Israel. Today he is slated to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

The BRICS group was founded in 2006, in 2011, South Africa joined the original group (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Iran, Egypt, United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia became full-fledged BRICS members on January 1, 2024. Tehran submitted its application to join the group in June 2022.

The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. Initially the organization included Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in 2017 they were joined by India and Pakistan. Tehran applied to join in 2008 and became a full-fledged member of the organization in July 2023.

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