MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th December, 2022) Argentina will be an "agreeable and valuable" partner for Russia if it joins the BRICS alliance of the largest developing economies, Russian Ambassador to Buenos Aires Dmitry Feoktistov said on Tuesday.
"Argentina is a friendly state for Russia. It has an independent position, and from this point of view, I believe that it would be an agreeable and valuable partner for Russia within the BRICS framework. We do not see any push-back against the idea of Argentina's membership (in BRICS), including on the part of the opposition," the diplomat said.
BRICS currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The entry process is long and heavily dependent on current members.
"We know that in addition to Argentina, many other countries have applied. Now it is up to the BRICS national coordinators to agree on the process itself. Currently, procedures, mechanisms, expansion schemes and criteria are being developed. Only with complete clarity will specific negotiations begin," the diplomat added.
The alliance started as the four-member BRIC in 2009 and South Africa's accession at China's invitation in 2010 made it into the five-member BRICS. Its purpose is to enhance cooperation and elaborate common approaches to global economic challenges.
Countries which have expressed interest in BRICS membership in addition to Argentina include Algeria, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
