Iran says its ties with Russia based on ‘long-term interests’

TABNAK: Bagheri who is in Russia for BRICS foreign ministerial meeting in a visit with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Tehran-Moscow relations have been formed based on ‘long-term interests and approach’ of the two  sides.

He further called on using potential of Shanghai and BRICS blocs to stand against US unilateralism and illegal moves.

Lavrov, for his part, stressed growing relations between Iran and Russia in all fields, reiterating that his country is ready for boosting ties in West Asia and south Caucasus.

Bagheri arrived in Nizhny Novgorod early Monday to attend the BRICS ministerial meeting.

Lavrov and Bagheri engaged in extensive discussions concerning major international and regional matters of mutual interest, including collaboration within the frameworks of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The BRICS group of fast-developing economies initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

This year, the group was expanded to include Iran, Egypt, the UAE and Ethiopia as new members.

The bloc, which is often seen as an alternative to the Western economic and political hegemony, comprises almost 46 percent of the global population, 36 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 25 percent of the global trade measured in terms of exports.