MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. Buenos Aires has not yet formally said "no" to Argentina’s BRICS membership, and so 2024 BRICS chair Moscow is waiting for the new Argentinian government of President Javier Milei to clarify its stance, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with International Affairs magazine.

"Everyone but Argentina took part in a recent meeting of BRICS sherpas and sous sherpas. However, Argentina has not officially said 'no.' We are quietly and patiently waiting for the country’s new authorities to make known their official reaction to the invitation they have [to join BRICS on January 1, 2024]," he noted.

Ryabkov pointed out that BRICS was based on mutual respect between member states. "You see, it is like a family in the best sense of the word. This is what BRICS is. I am very happy that the countries that received invitations in Johannesburg and confirmed their readiness to join the group share the same attitude," the diplomat added.

Ryabkov specified that work to create a legal basis was underway in several areas with several BRICS agreements already adopted. One of the goals is to find a way to allow the new members to join these accords. "The second issue that rose ahead of Russia’s chairmanship concerns the implementation of the leaders’ order to determine the category of partner states," the Russian deputy foreign minister went on to say. He noted that many countries were expressing interest in building closer ties with BRICS and even obtaining membership. "We need to work on it in a constructive manner," the diplomat concluded.

At the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 22-24, the BRICS leaders agreed to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as new members, effective January 1, 2024. However, after populist firebrand and avowed BRICS opponent Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina in November 2023, the country’s government announced that it would refuse to join the intergovernmental group.