Iran’s speaker Ghalibaf to miss BRICS parliamentary forum; delegation to represent Tehran in Delhi

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will not attend the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on October 26 and 27 due to “certain unforeseen circumstances”, the Iranian Embassy in India said on Saturday.

A parliamentary delegation from Tehran will represent the country at the two-day meeting, which will focus on “Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development”.

The forum will bring together representatives of BRICS member and partner countries to discuss parliamentary cooperation. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the dates and theme at a press conference on Thursday.

“The two-day conference will include both bilateral and multilateral discussions. Presiding officers, members of parliament and other dignitaries from BRICS and partner countries will brainstorm on strategic priorities for parliaments,” Birla said at the briefing.

In its statement, the Iranian Embassy reiterated Tehran’s commitment to the grouping, saying Iran remained committed to “active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings” of BRICS.

The delegation is expected to hold discussions with representatives of other member countries to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in parliamentary relations, the embassy said.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran also expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of India for its gracious hospitality and the arrangements made to host this meeting,” the statement said.

At Thursday’s briefing, Birla also said India had received confirmations from most participating countries, although some could not attend because of local elections.

“Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia are not coming. Speakers and deputy speakers from several nations are expected to attend,” Birla said, according to PTI.

He added that 18 countries had submitted suggestions and that the forum would proceed accordingly.