In a meeting with AIIB’s new president, Zou Jiayi, held on the sidelines of the bank’s 10th Board of Directors meeting in Beijing from June 24 to 26, Kashiri emphasised the importance of inclusive cooperation and practical mechanisms to support the participation of countries, such as Iran, that have yet to benefit from the bank’s financial and technical resources.

“With your experience and programme, we are confident the AIIB will continue to grow and become an even more effective partner in regional development,” he told the president.

Kashiri reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to the bank’s strategic objectives as a founding member and welcomed the AIIB’s growing focus on sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, and regional connectivity. However, he noted that Iran had been unable to tap into the bank’s capacities due to external constraints, which he said contradicted the institution’s multilateral mandate.

He proposed a set of practical measures to bridge the gap for underrepresented members, including project preparation assistance, enhanced technical cooperation, knowledge-sharing platforms, and the establishment of neutral payment mechanisms.

“Iran stands ready to cooperate with the AIIB on a range of projects in transportation, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and water management,” he added.