TEHRAN- The Managing Director of Iran's Urban Regeneration Company, explaining the goals and dimensions of the Islamic Republic of Iran's presence at the BRICS summit, described this presence as a strategic opportunity to strengthen urban diplomacy, develop international cooperation in the field of urban regeneration, transfer experience, attract innovative ideas, and enhance Iran's position in emerging global equations.

According to IRNA from Iran's Urban Regeneration Company, Abdolreza Golpayegani, referring to structural changes in the international system and the increasing role of economic and political coalitions composed of developing countries and emerging economies, stated: Iran's membership in BRICS is not just a symbolic presence in an international body, but can become an effective platform for redefining Iran's role in areas such as urban economics, development policy, urban resilience, spatial justice, and financing infrastructure projects.

He added: Today, BRICS has become one of the most important channels for dialogue and cooperation among Global South countries and has provided extensive capacities for synergy in economic, social, technological, and developmental fields.

According to Golpayegani, in today's world, urban issues such as marginalization, dilapidated urban fabrics, spatial inequality, climate change, the housing access crisis, and weak service infrastructure have become common challenges among many countries.

He emphasized: The Ministry of Transport and Urban Development has accumulated valuable experience in recent years in organizing inefficient settlements, improving and renovating dilapidated urban fabrics, enhancing the quality of life in target neighborhoods, and empowering local communities. Presenting these experiences in BRICS specialized forums, while showcasing the country's expert capacities, can pave the way for defining joint projects and forming a network of specialized cooperation between Iran and other members of this coalition.

The Deputy Minister of Transport and Urban Development stated that another goal of attending the BRICS summit is to utilize this body's capacity for exchanging knowledge, technology, and innovative models in the field of urban development, and said: Many BRICS member countries have employed various solutions in recent years to face urban challenges; from developing smart cities and using data-driven systems in urban management to designing new financing models, infrastructure retrofitting, and enhancing urban resilience.

Referring to the importance of financing urban regeneration projects, he stated: One of the fundamental challenges in implementing regeneration programs is providing sustainable and diverse financial resources, and BRICS can provide a suitable platform for dialogue on new financing tools, joint investment, and utilizing successful experiences in mobilizing resources for implementing infrastructure and development projects.

Golpayegani also considered strengthening Iran's position in international dialogues about the future of cities as another goal of this presence, and said: The future of development in the world is largely shaped in cities, and the quality of urban governance, the distribution of services, the level of infrastructure resilience, and the capacity of local institutions to respond to citizens' needs play a decisive role in the development path of countries.

Emphasizing that participation in such events must be outcome-oriented and based on national interests, he continued: On the sidelines of the BRICS summit, joint meetings and dialogues were held with representatives from Russia, China, and India, in which the areas of experience exchange, technical cooperation, and the possibility of defining joint projects in the field of urban development and regeneration were examined.

Abdolreza Golpayegani, Deputy Minister of Transport and Urban Development, along with Gholamreza Kazemian, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning and Architecture, represented the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development at this summit and specialized meetings related to urban issues and sustainable development within the BRICS framework, and held talks with member countries on expanding specialized cooperation and experience exchange.

EF/MA