Raisi heads for South Africa to attend BRICS summit

The Iranian president left the capital Tehran on Wednesday night local time, embarking on his eighth foreign trip since March 2023.

Raisi is accompanied by a number of his cabinet members including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

The president is due to make a speech at the BRICS Plus summit which brings together leaders from 70 countries. He is also scheduled to meet with some of the officials attending the summit.

BRICS is made up of India, Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa. Heads of states of the group held their 15th annual summit in Johannesburg earlier on Wednesday, agreeing mechanisms for considering new members and calling for the use of local currencies to facilitate trade.

More than 40 countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia have called for joining BRICS.

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