An Iranian official has announced that the head of the New Development Bank (NDB) has been invited to visit Iran to discuss the country’s potential membership in the bank.
Deputy for Diplomacy Affairs of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mehdi Safari said on Friday that he had a meeting with NDB President Dilma Vana Rousseff and invited her to visit Iran soon so that the country can have a share as a new member state in the bank and utilize its potential to finance projects.
Safari made the remarks about Iran’s efforts for membership in NDB, formerly known as BRICS bank, a day after Iran officially became a member of BRICS group of emerging economies.
Iran’s membership in the bank would be a positive and helpful step for the country, Safari said.
In a letter to President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday, President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Hossein Selahvarzi stressed the need for Iran to seek membership in NDB.
He added that the NDB is not bound to complying with the US sanctions making it more urgent for Iran, already under the US unilateral sanctions, to seek joining the bank.
Noting that the UAE is already an NDB member and the neighboring Saudi Arabia is also seeking membership in the bank, Selahvarzi said that as NDB considers regional balance in admitting new members, any hesitation in starting the process of joining the bank would weaken Iran’s position in negotiations.