Iran and South Africa have signed a cooperation agreement during Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit to his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor. The move comes as Iran seeks membership in the BRICS group of developing economies, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The Iranian president is set to attend the annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August, during which new applicants will be considered. The two countries' top diplomats emphasized the need for political and economic cooperation to enhance global interactions and discussed the current political and security situations of African countries. Pandor expressed support for Iran's bid to join BRICS, and Amir-Abdollahian urged South Africa to support Tehran's bid for membership.