Iran’s interim foreign minister says Tehran has been pursuing multilateralism in its foreign policy and managed to become a “strategic partner” in the BRICS group of emerging economies and an important member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Ali Bagheri Kani made the remarks in an address to a cabinet session as he elaborated on the foreign policy achievements of the late President Ebrahim Raeisi’s administration over the past three years.

He said the administration’s “wise” policy of focusing on multilateralism led to Iran’s full-fledged membership in the SCO, which is the biggest security and political mechanism.

During its 23rd virtual summit in July 2023, the SCO officially approved Iran’s full-fledged membership in the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographic scope and population.

Iran officially became a member of the BRICS at the beginning of 2024, five months after it announced its acceptance as full member into the group along with Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

BRICS was formed by and initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which collectively represent around 40% of the global population and a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Bagheri Kani said the Raeisi administration adopted an approach in its foreign policy which was based on strategic diversity, which led to the development and growth of the country.

“We have practically witnessed that the country has never faced a deadlock during the past three years.”

The top diplomat said Iran has played an active role in regional and international developments during President Raeisi’s three-year tenure.

Pointing to the policy of good neighborliness as one of a main pillar of the Raeisi administration, he said Iran succeeded in improving relations with the neighboring and regional countries in a very short period of time.

“Also, we witnessed the dominance of the atmosphere of cooperation over competition among the countries of the region during this period.”

He said the formation of “small multilateral coalitions” was among other strategies of Iran’s foreign policy which resulted in good outcomes for the country.

“Under circumstances that some players – and sometimes terrorists – tried to create several tensions and threats to Iran, we created appropriate conditions in the regional developments with the proper implementation of the neighborhood policy.”