TEHRAN – Ali Akbar Ahmadian of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has arrived in Brazil to participate in important discussions with BRICS countries as emerging economic groups moved to deepen political, economic and security cooperation.
According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Ahmadian will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings in Rio de Janeiro with officials from other BRICS countries. The consultation will focus on strategic issues, such as regional development in West Asia and strengthening security frameworks within the expansion of the BRICS Alliance.
The visit comes as Brazil prepares to play a central role in holding upcoming organisational meetings, envisaging a rotating BRICS presidency in 2025.
Founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the BRICS group has recently expanded to include Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Indonesia. Additionally, nine countries have been designated as partner nations, including Cuba, Belarus, Malaysia, Nigeria and Kazakhstan, providing access to BRICS-led initiatives and forums.
Several more countries, such as Turkey and Azerbaijan, have submitted formal applications for full membership, reflecting the growing interest in the group’s vision for a more balanced global order.
Since its formation, BRICS has established itself as a platform for promoting global Southern interests and reforming international institutions often controlled by Western countries. The total population is 3.5 billion, with a total economy of over $28.5 trillion (about 28% of global GDP), and BRICS is considered the counterweight of a traditional geopolitical bloc.
The Ahmadian visit highlights Iran’s active involvement in this multilateral framework and, in a call from developing countries, highlights the growing importance of the bloc to reconstruct the current world order.