Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will not attend the 12th BRICS parliamentary forum in New Delhi on October 26 and 27 due to “unforeseen circumstances”, the Iranian embassy in India announced on Saturday.
The embassy said an Iranian parliamentary delegation would participate in the meeting of speakers of the parliaments of BRICS member countries in Ghalibaf’s place.
Despite the speaker’s absence, Tehran reaffirmed its commitment to active participation in BRICS meetings and to expanding cooperation with other member countries, particularly in parliamentary affairs.
“As one of the members of BRICS, Iran reaffirms its commitment to active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings of this grouping,” the embassy said in a statement.
It added that the Iranian delegation would continue dialogue and consultations with delegations from other BRICS countries to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Iran thanks India for hosting parliamentary forum
The Iranian embassy expressed appreciation to the Indian government for its hospitality and the arrangements made for the meeting. It also wished the forum success, expressing hope that it would produce constructive outcomes and strengthen cooperation among member countries.
The embassy’s statement said the delegation would focus on maintaining engagement with other participants, particularly through parliamentary relations and cooperation.
BRICS parliamentary forum to be held on October 26-27
The 12th BRICS parliamentary forum will take place at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi on October 26 and 27, 2026. It is expected to bring together parliamentary leaders and delegations from 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner countries.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will chair the meeting, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend.
The agenda includes strengthening parliamentary cooperation, people-centric development, ethical artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation and reforms to global governance.
India, China, Russia, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates are among the member countries expected to be represented. Belarus, Malaysia and Uzbekistan are among the countries associated with BRICS as partners.
Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia have also been reported as not participating. The forum is expected to conclude with a joint statement outlining areas of agreement and cooperation.
India’s previous BRICS summit and ties with Iran
India hosted the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attending alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and other leaders and representatives from BRICS member and partner countries also participated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Pezeshkian to discuss India-Iran relations and developments in West Asia. India has previously hosted BRICS summits in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The parliamentary forum is expected to provide a platform for parliamentary leaders to exchange views, strengthen diplomatic engagement and explore areas of cooperation among BRICS members and partner countries.