Iran's BRICS WBA chairperson says; "Looking to India to tide through difficulty"

New Delhi: As India gears up to host the BRICS Summit eyes are also firmly trained on the Iranian delegation that comes to India even as the conflict in West Asia continues to rage. 

At the BRICS Summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will be in attendance and the Iranian delegation is looking to continue its engagement with India at all levels.

Zahra Rahaei, Chairperson, BRICS WBA Iranian Chapter welcomed the support her delegation has received in India and says she looks forward to help in setting up a framework for women led companies in Iran. 

"Our Indian sisters have been very welcoming of our small delegation and they have provided us a lot of support. We’ve seen support from other members of the BRICS countries, and we are very glad that we have this support during these very troubling times. We are looking to see whether we can set up a framework that will help systematically analyse and whet different companies that are led by women and start-ups in Iran, so that they will have better access to finances, credit, collaboration, suppliers as well as clients internationally within the BRICS community," she said.

Emphasising the long-standing civilizational ties between Iran and India Zahra Rahaei made a fervent appeal for peace in times of adversity.

"From a business point of view, I really think we’ve been tied through our civilization, language, and people. So, I think that this is the time that we have to look to East, especially to India, to help us, you know, come through this difficulty. I think if everyone seeks peace, we can all rise together against all adversity," she said.

Earlier, during a press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasised the importance Tehran places on its long-standing ties with New Delhi.

Referring to President Pezeshkian's recent bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Baghaei reaffirmed that Iran plans to leverage diplomatic engagements in India to expand economic collaboration.
Looking ahead to President Pezeshkian’s agenda for the BRICS Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September 12-13, Baghaei expressed confidence that multilateral diplomacy will further accelerate bilateral progress.

"We will certainly make use of the opportunity provided by the BRICS Summit to continue our discussions and consultations with India in areas of mutual interest," Baghaei affirmed.

Baghaei further underscored India’s influential role across major multilateral groupings, including the SCO summit and BRICS.

"India is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS," he said. "It is also one of the countries with which we have good relations in various areas, particularly trade and economic cooperation," he said.

Highlighting specific focus areas, Baghaei singled out connectivity and logistics infrastructure as a top priority for both nations.