Iran became the 34th country to become a member of the Belt and Road Energy Partnership (BREP), announced by China's National Energy Administration on Wednesday at the ongoing Third Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference held in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Initiated by China's NEA, the BREP supports countries in formulating more ambitious green energy development plans based on their own energy endowments and development needs, to continuously enhance the reliability and resilience of green energy supplies.

In an interview with China Daily, Iranian Minister of Energy Abbas Aliabadi expressed expectations on BREP to have a positive impact on global energy cooperation and promote global development through innovative approaches.

"Such a collaborative platform to promote cooperation among different countries is beneficial to all parties. I am very pleased with initiatives like those from China, where different countries can raise their issues on this platform and work together to address them," he said.

"China serves as a great example in energy transition, with significant developments in renewable energy that have made substantial contributions to global carbon reduction efforts," he said.