cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/1149638

Argentina's incorporation will be discussed at the summit of heads of state to be held in South Africa between August 22 and 24.

China wants Argentina to become a full member of BRICS before the end of the month. The enlargement of the bloc that gathers the most important countries of the global south will be discussed at the summit of heads of state to be held in South Africa between August 22 and 24 and Beijing is pushing for the incorporation of our country at the top of the list of more than thirty applicants, according to sources in charge of the details of the negotiations. The President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, is also key to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion.

The enlargement of BRICS "will mark a significant change in the global order", said the South African ambassador to BRICS, Anil Sooklal, on Wednesday in a talk he gave at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in the city of Durban, where he confirmed that the heads of state of the five member countries will make a statement on the subject when they meet before the end of the month. A Reuters cable dated the same day quotes three Brazilian diplomats as saying that "the debate seems inevitable" at the meeting.

Argentina is one of the more than thirty countries interested in joining the bloc, a list that includes Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Egypt. Negotiations among the current members for the enlargement lead to an opening to allow the entry of only five or six candidates, unanimously approved by the founders, within a structure that would be called BRICS+. According to El Destape, Argentina is at the top of the list.

The application has the formal support of the five members and the main impetus of Beijing, which is following with great interest the development of the negotiations being carried out by the national government with the International Monetary Fund within the framework of a process of internationalization of the Chinese currency, which is a priority for that country. Lula's position was also key to move forward with this process, and he remained firm in his support for Argentina despite the reservations of the diplomatic corps at Itamaraty.