Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei[/caption]TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran was invited to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group of countries in their next meeting in New Delhi, India.
"We have been invited to the (BRICS) meeting to state our views among the five countries of India, Brazil, South Africa, China and Russia," Iranian Supreme Leader's senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters after meeting Director of India's Observer Research Foundation Manoj Joshi in Tehran on Thursday afternoon.
In October, Iranian Deputy Economy Minister Behrouz Alishiri announced Tehran's enthusiasm for membership in the BRICS.
Alishiri made the remarks in a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart on the sidelines of the 2013 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, the US.
"Iran supports the BRICS group and is prepared for membership and presence in BRICS's fund," he said.
Iran and the BRICS countries have established good relations in recent years. The fifth summit of the Group of BRICS countries in its March summit in Durban, South Africa, lashed out at the US-led West for its hostile and unilateral policies against Iran, and called on the western powers to try talks with Tehran over the latter's nuclear program.
"We are concerned about threats of military action as well as unilateral sanctions, and hope that all outstanding issues relating to Iran's nuclear program will be resolved through discussions and diplomatic means," BRICS leaders said in a declaration issued at the end of their two-day summit.
"We believe there is no alternative to a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, and recognize Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with its international obligations," they added.
By Fars News Agency
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