Iran's Ghalibaf To Give BRICS Parliamentary Forum In Delhi A Miss Due To Unforeseen Circumstances

Iran will send a parliamentary delegation to the upcoming BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, but its parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will be absent during the October 26-27 meeting. Tehran announced his withdrawal on Saturday, citing “unforeseen circumstances” without providing further details.

In a statement issued on October 24, the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi confirmed that Ghalibaf, who heads Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly, would not travel to the Indian capital. It did not indicate whether the decision was linked to any diplomatic or domestic development.

Tehran nevertheless sought to underline that the speaker's absence would not mean Iran was stepping back from the forum. The embassy said its delegation would engage with counterparts and pursue discussions aimed at deepening bilateral ties and cooperation among BRICS members, particularly through parliamentary channels.

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The embassy also acknowledged India's arrangements for the event and expressed hope that the discussions would yield constructive results.

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Modi to meet visiting parliamentary leaders

The two-day forum is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 26. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the dates on Thursday, saying parliamentary presiding officers, lawmakers and delegates from BRICS member and partner countries would participate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend and interact with visiting delegations. The meeting's theme, “Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development”, places the focus on how legislatures can respond to evolving political, technological and development challenges.

The agenda includes institutional resilience, ethical use of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, changes to global governance and sustainable development. Bilateral meetings are also expected to provide opportunities for participating countries to discuss areas of mutual interest.

Iran has not disclosed who will head its delegation in Ghalibaf's absence. Its embassy said Tehran remained committed to active participation in BRICS engagements, signalling that the country would maintain its presence in the New Delhi discussions despite the speaker's withdrawal.

(With PTI Inputs)

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