TEHRAN -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday underlined the place of neighboring and regional countries in his administration’s foreign policy agenda in a phone conversation with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Pezeshkian called the Central Asian nation a friend and brother of Iran and congratulated its leader on the country’s Independence Day. He expressed confidence that relations between Iran and Uzbekistan will further grow on the basis of mutual respect.
Mirziyoyev took power in Uzbekistan in December 2016, following the death of Islam Karimov, who had ruled the country since independence in 1991.
Meanwhile, Pezeshkian will attend the 2024 BRICS Summit in Russia in October.
The first summit of BRICS members after the expansion of the intergovernmental organization will be held in Russia’s Kazan from October 22 to 24.
Pezeshkian will also take part in the event at the formal invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Iran’s consul in Kazan Davoud Mirzakhani met with the assistant to the Republic of Tatarstan’s president in Kazan to make arrangements for the BRICS summit.
Russia has taken over the rotating presidency of BRICS this year.
Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia were the five new members that formally became full-fledged members of BRICS at the beginning of 2024.
BRICS was founded in 2006 and initially included Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the intergovernmental organization in 2011.