TEHRAN, Aug. 25 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Friday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS have been formed to promote cooperation among countries to help them progress while respecting their independence.

Raisi made the remarks upon arrival in Tehran from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he took part in the 15th BRICS Summit, according to a statement released by the president's office.

He elaborated on the capacities of the two blocs, saying that they are newly emerging groups that are "completely against unilateralism."

"The global hegemonic system" seeks to prevent independent states, including Iran, from growing through relations with other independent countries, Raisi said, adding that BRICS plays an effective role in promoting trade and economic cooperation among countries "in a major part of the world."

The Iranian president described his trip to South Africa as "very important" because it was during this visit that Iran's membership in BRICS was approved. He said that immediately after the accession was announced, the Iranian Foreign Ministry began preparing the executive mechanisms for the country's membership in the group.

BRICS has remarkable members in different parts of the globe that have a significant share of the world's entire population and gross domestic product, the president emphasized.

BRICS is an acronym for five emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The 15th BRICS Summit invited on Thursday six more countries, including Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to join the group, and their membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.