Diana Mondino, the neoliberal economist who will most likely be President-elect Javier Milei’s foreign minister, said yesterday that she saw no reason why Argentina should join the BRICS, as she didn’t see what benefits membership would bring the country. At this year’s BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on Aug. 22-24, Argentina was one of six countries invited to join the BRICS, as of Jan. 1, 2024.
Asked by Sputnik Brasil if reneging on BRICS membership would be a problem, Mondino replied that there never was any certainty that Argentina would join in the first place. “We have nothing against the BRICS or for it. But with the information publicly available now, we just don’t see what the advantage would be for Argentina at this time,” Costa Rica’s El País reported her saying. “If later on, we see there’s some benefit to us, then of course we’ll analyze it.”
At today’s Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing, spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated China’s support for the six new BRICS members, emphasizing that BRICS “is an important platform for stronger solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries to uphold common interest. It is an open platform. We welcome all countries that are interested in becoming a member of the BRICS family.”