Lahore takes SCO cultural spotlight with centuries of history behind it
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that ...
Iran will soon join the New Development Bank (NDB), the lender established by BRICS nations, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said in a state media report on Wednesday ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.
Iran moves towards NDB membership
Iran joined BRICS in 2024 as the group expanded, aiming to deepen economic ties among emerging economies. It has since made clear its desire to become a member and shareholder of the New Development Bank.
The bank was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015 to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It has since expanded its membership to include the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Uzbekistan and other emerging economies.
"The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank," Hemmati said, according to state media.
Hemmati is attending the first meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors, hosted by India, which holds the rotating BRICS chairmanship this year. The final decision to formally accept Iran to the NDB is pending the approval of the bank's Board of Governors.
For Tehran, joining the NDB could provide an additional channel for infrastructure financing, investment and economic cooperation outside traditional Western-led financial institutions.
The bank's focus on infrastructure and sustainable development could offer Iran another potential source of financing while strengthening economic ties with BRICS members, including China, Russia and India.
The move also fits into Iran's efforts to reduce its exposure to dollar-based financial systems amid sweeping U.S. and international sanctions. Hemmati said Iran was seeking bilateral and trilateral monetary cooperation with BRICS members and believed the group could expand trade using national currencies.
BRICS members have promoted greater use of national currencies in trade and financial transactions as part of efforts to diversify international financial relationships.
However, NDB membership alone would not remove U.S. sanctions or guarantee access to international capital. The practical benefits for Tehran would depend on the bank's ability to operate with a heavily sanctioned Iranian economy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
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