Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf made the remarks at the Ninth BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday.
Qalibaf emphasized that today’s world requires a justice-seeking and spiritual atmosphere and that the BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - can play an important role in this respect.
Touching upon the fact that progress, economic growth, and resolving international challenges will not be sustainable without paying heed to moral, cultural, spiritual, religious and divine teachings, the Iranian speaker noted that bitter incidents such as the desecration of the holy Quran prove "we need to attract international attention to sublime religious and human teachings".
As to Iran’s stance on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Qalibaf said that the Islamic Republic has obviously announced from the onset of the conflict that Tehran promotes an immediate end to the war in Ukraine; however, at the same time, the Iranian authorities believe that NATO and the United States were the root cause of the confrontation.
At present, the United States is the main state that is practically opposing the cessation of the war in Ukraine and vetoing all mechanisms concerning ceasefire and peace, he argued.
4208**2050