On July 11, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, spoke at the plenary session of the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which is taking place in St. Petersburg. He announced that Iran proposes to establish an inter-parliamentary friendship group of BRICS countries.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met with Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, on the margins of the forum. They discussed pressing issues of Russian-Iranian inter-parliamentary cooperation.
"BRICS is an opportunity for many countries to realize their potential, do everything to protect their national interests, preserve traditions, culture and, of course, develop cooperation on mutually beneficial terms and build relations on the principles of respect and friendship," Mr. Volodin noted.
According to Vyacheslav Volodin, parliamentarians should contribute to the intensification of cooperation within BRICS, addressing the issues of harmonization of legislation, forming a legal space in areas and spheres that are promising for cooperation.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf thanked Vyacheslav Volodin and the Russian Federation for supporting the Iranian people during the hard days after the death of Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Republic of Iran.
"It is only during difficult times that one can know true friends," the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament said.
In addition, Vyacheslav Volodin suggested to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to intensify the work of the commission on cooperation between the State Duma and the Iranian Parliament.