Iran's parliamentary speaker to skip Delhi BRICS forum

The Iranian Embassy in India announced on Wednesday that Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, would be unable to attend the upcoming BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Delhi due to unforeseen circumstances.

While Ghalibaf's attendance has been cancelled, the embassy confirmed that a parliamentary delegation from Iran would represent the country at the two-day forum scheduled for October 26-27. The BRICS Parliamentary Forum brings together lawmakers from member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

The Iranian parliament speaker's absence marks a notable change in Iran's parliamentary representation at the high-profile gathering. Details regarding the composition of the Iranian parliamentary delegation and the specific reasons behind Ghalibaf's cancellation were not disclosed by the embassy.

India has been hosting various BRICS-related meetings and forums as part of its presidency of the grouping this year. The parliamentary forum is expected to focus on strengthening institutional cooperation among the five nations and addressing regional and global challenges.