Argentina has officially declined the invitation to join BRICS, an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The decision was communicated by the Argentine President, Javier Milei, to the leaders of BRICS.
The BRICS bloc had announced in August that it was expanding its membership to include six new countries—Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates—as part of a strategy to counter the Western-led global order. The new memberships were scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024.
However, in letters signed by President Milei and published by several media outlets, Argentina’s membership was deemed “not considered appropriate at this time.” The President further stated 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.”
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During his election campaign, Milei declared, “Our geopolitical alignment is with the United States and Israel. We are not going to ally with communists.” Despite initial vows to sever ties with major trading partners China and Brazil, his administration has adopted a more conciliatory tone since assuming office.
This decision signifies a considerable shift in Argentina’s foreign policy, particularly since the country was slated to join BRICS in January 2024.
However, analysts suggest that this decision is unlikely to lead to significant changes in Sino-Argentine relations.