Argentina: Argentina’s new President, Mr. Javier Milei, has sent letters to BRICS leaders to formalise his decision to reject an invitation to join the grouping of major emerging economies.
The bloc, which is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, in August announced that it was admitting six new members in a bid to counter the Western-led global order. The BRICS countries are often seen as a counterweight to the Western-led world.
In a letter to the leaders, Mr. Milei stated that the decisions taken by the preceding government had been revised. The letters signed by Mr. Milei and published by several media houses said Argentina’s membership was “not considered appropriate at this time.”
The membership of Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates was due to take effect from January 1, 2024, as per the statement.
In his letters, the Argentine President said that his foreign policy “differs in many aspects from that of the previous government. In this sense, some decisions made by the previous administration will be reviewed.”
Further, Mr. Milei added that “although he did not consider it “appropriate” for Argentina to become a full BRICS member, he was still committed to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly with the aim of increasing trade and investment flows.”
Mr. Milei took office in December after the traditional political parties in Argentina faced a crushing defeat. During his election campaign, Milei had vowed not to join BRICS. The President also showed his support for America and Israel.
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