Argentina Not to Join BRICS Group

Argentine President Javier Melli informed the leaders of the BRICS group of nations that Buenos Aires will not join the group at the beginning of 2024, in adherence to a commitment made during his right-wing liberal election campaign, according to a statement from the presidency on Friday.

In a letter addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other BRICS members (Russia, India, China, and South Africa), Melli stated that "Argentina's full membership in the BRICS group as of January 2024 is not appropriate."

The president, who took office on December 10, emphasized that his government's foreign policy "differs in many aspects from the previous governments."

He added, "In this context, some decisions made by the previous government, including the establishment of an entity (...) to engage the country in BRICS, will be reviewed."

The recent BRICS summit held in Johannesburg in August extended invitations to six countries: Argentina, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, to join the group starting in January 2024.

During his election campaign, Melli affirmed his rejection of Argentina's membership in BRICS and voiced his support for "engaging in agreements with non-communists because they do not respect the fundamentals of free trade, freedom, and democracy."

A spokesperson for the Argentine presidency explained that the messages to BRICS member countries indicate "that we are undergoing a change in foreign policy based on more in-depth analysis than that conducted by the previous government."