New Delhi, Sept. 11 -- At the Leaders' Session of the BRICS Business Forum on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pitched for de-dollarisation of trade within the bloc.

Calling for reducing dependence on Western financial systems, Pezeshkian said BRICS nations should increase the use of local currencies in bilateral trade and put in place mechanisms to guard against currency volatility.

He said over-reliance on a few dominant currencies makes non-Western economies vulnerable to sanctions, trade restrictions and banking curbs.

"One of the most important steps is to expand the use of national currencies in trade among the members. This step must be accompanied by the establishment of t...