Argentina sends out mixed messages regarding BRICS Plus membership

By Rhod Mackenzie

The new Argentinian authorities are presently undecided about whether to join the BRICS alliance of major non-Western countries.
BRICS remains open to aid developing economies and protect their interests. Wang Wenbin, the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded to Diana Mondino, the future head of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, who stated that the new government starting on December 10 does not plan to join BRICS. Despite their criticism of the BRICS association, the new authorities have considered the potential advantages and are not ruling out the possibility of collaboration. Within this context, officials from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina have expressed a keenness to engage with the BRICS plus, diverging from the stance of Buenos Aires.
"BRICS provides a significant platform to reinforce the unity, cooperation and safeguarding of mutual interests among developing and emerging economies," reported the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, during a recent press briefing in Beijing. The diplomat further elaborated that BRICS is an inclusive partnership, and China welcomes nations who aspire to join this collaborative effort.

The comment from the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was made in response to a statement by Diana Mondino, the future head of the Argentine Foreign Ministry. She indicated that her country would not be joining the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) due to a lack of capital. "Although we received an invitation to participate in BRICS, this invitation was not officially accepted." "To become a member, there's a fee requirement, but Argentina is unable to comply," shared Diana Mondino with Infobae, the news portal. Simultaneously, the upcoming chief of the Argentine Foreign Ministry posted a concise message on X social network: "Argentina won't be part of BRICS."

The new President, Javier Milei, once again showcased the new government's critical stance towards the primary coalition of non-Western nations. This coalition is scheduled to admit Argentina, along with Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia from January 1st, next year. "We have reaffirmed our commitment to an alliance with the US, Israel and the West." We have expressed our unambiguous stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and on BRICS,” stated the newly appointed Argentine leader of Radio Continental after their recent visit to Washington.
It is unclear whether the change of power in the country in November led to the removal of the discussion of joining BRICS.

At the summit held in Johannesburg in August, the organization publicly invited a group of countries, Argentina included, to become BRICS members as of January 1, 2024.

Notwithstanding the combative remarks directed towards BRICS by the fresh Argentinean president and Foreign Ministry chief of the incoming government, commencing on December 10, there is still no clear indication regarding the nation's future ties with BRICS. The leader of the right-wing "Freedom Comes" coalition, Javier Mileiy, announced prior to his election victory that he would not pursue interstate relations with Brazil, China, and Russia, citing disagreement with their policies. However, he assured that he would not impede Argentine private businesses from collaborating with BRICS countries. Diana Mondino's recent statement about BRICS has only added to the confusion.

"Of the organisations that make significant contributions, we will keep those that are valuable. In social circles, it is unfair for the 47 million Argentinians to pay for themselves. It is important to examine the essence and functionality of each case, including BRICS," shared Ms. Mondino with La Nacion newspaper.

After Javier Milei's electoral win, TN television channel, with reference to the ruling coalition, announced that the forthcoming president's team will review the advantages and disadvantages of potentially joining BRICS to come to a final verdict. Despite this, the BRICS's expansion, slated for January 1, is certain to take place even without Argentina's participation.

Against the backdrop of the new leadership's move towards BRICS, the authorities of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province have staged their own initiative to cooperate with the association, aiming to persuade the future central government to do likewise.

"We, in the province of Tierra del Fuego, have decided to seek membership as part of BRICS+ network of regions, as it facilitates the expansion of states that are already part of the network," proclaimed the Secretary for Malvinas Islands, Antarctica, South Atlantic Islands and External Affairs, Andres Dachari, on his Provincial Relations social network page. The regional authorities view cooperation with BRICS as a means to create "economic and trade opportunities" for all inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego. Let us not forget that this province, situated in the southernmost and most sparsely populated region of the country, is known as the "end of the world" and produces the majority of household electronics and appliances used throughout Argentina.
Discussing the conflict that emerged around the relations between Argentina and BRICS at the recent Primakov readings in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergei Ryabkov, advised against hasty actions. "We must wait for signals from Buenos Aires," Ryabkov stated, noting that the invitation had already been issued. The Russian diplomat stated that the issue may be clarified after the BRICS Sherpas meeting (held in South Africa from 30 November to 3 December) but "if it remains unclear, we will wait a bit longer." Mr. Ryabkov also mentioned that BRICS is not a PR venture or a conversational platform where declarations are made and forgotten; rather, it is a platform focused on cooperation specifics. He further expressed confidence that the 2024 Russian presidency of BRICS will make a novel contribution to the association's efficiency, elevating its appeal.

Another affirmation of non-Western nations' interest in this alliance came from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry's new leader, Celinda Sosa.
"As the Foreign Ministry, we aim to facilitate Bolivia's full membership in BRICS and establish innovative mechanisms for financial integration amongst countries of the global South, thus weakening dependence on the dollar," claimed Celinda Sosa, who assumed office last week. (In July, the country's authorities formally declared their intention to join BRICS.)"
Against this backdrop, the New Development Bank (NDB) - established by the BRICS nations, from which Argentina is yet to secure funding to join - sanctioned three fresh loans for India and China, exceeding $1.1 billion last week. The decision to allocate funds for ventures under the BRICS founding members was ratified at the NDB executive board's 42nd meeting on November 28 in Dubai. Two projects for India pertain to rural infrastructure. The NDB has allocated $500 million to enhance road connectivity in Gujarat. Moreover, the state of Bihar shall receive an additional $£638 million. The third project involves providing a loan to the Chinese Bank of Hangzhou amounting to $50 million, to fund clean energy, transport, logistics, and water supply projects.

The New Development Bank was instituted by the BRICS nations in 2014. The bank's objective is to fund infrastructure and sustainable development schemes in the BRICS nations and developing countries. Throughout its existence, the bank has authorized over 100 schemes amounting to more than $33 billion for the construction of transport, water supply, clean energy, digital and social infrastructure, and urban development.