As Argentina’s Milei Closes A Door On BRICS Another Opens
Tierra del Fuego’s Secretary of External Relations, Andrés Dachary, argued that joining the BRICS+ would benefit the region’s development.
The recent decision by Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei to reject the invitation to join the BRICS group of emerging economies has sparked a debate on the future of South-South cooperation. While some see it as a setback for the BRICS’ expansion and influence, others view it as an opportunity to explore new forms of partnership and integration among the Global South. One such initiative is the proposal by Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost region of Argentina, to become part of the BRICS+ framework which encompasses various other regions of BRICS countries.
BRICS is a group of countries that work together and cooperate on various issues. But now, BRICS has a new idea: BRICS +. In effect BRICS+ is about transforming BRICS into an inclusive platform that is open to cooperation with any country, block or region in the world economy. This means that BRICS can invite regions from other countries to join them, even if the rest of their country is not part of BRICS. For example, maybe a region in Africa or Europe wants to partner with BRICS, but their national government does not. With BRICS, they can do that.
In an interesting article called Tierra del Fuego: a new dimension for BRICS+, Yaroslav Lissovolik, the originator of the BRICS+ concept, highlighted the interest of this Argentine sub-national region (SNR) in collaborating with the group after its newly elected leader promised to distance his country from it. Lissovolik argued that this proposal could lead to "a renewed effort to rebuild and reimagine BRICS+ cooperation" during Russia's 2024 presidency.
Tierra del Fuego’s Secretary of External Relations, Andrés Dachary, argued that joining the BRICS+ would benefit the region’s development and international projection, as well as foster closer ties with other regions that share similar challenges and opportunities. Dachary also stressed that Tierra del Fuego’s participation in the BRICS+ would not contradict Argentina’s national interests, but rather complement them by enhancing the country’s role and presence in the Global South.
The idea of BRICS+ was first introduced by China in 2017 as a way to broaden the scope and impact of the BRICS cooperation beyond its five member states. Since then, several countries and regions have expressed their interest to join the BRICS+ network, such as Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, and now Tierra del Fuego a region within BRICS denier Argentina. The BRICS+ concept is based on the principle of openness and inclusiveness aiming to create a platform for dialogue and collaboration among diverse actors in the Global South. According to Yaroslav Lissovolik, a senior researcher at the Valdai Discussion Club, the BRICS+ could become a new model of regionalism that transcends geographical boundaries and embraces multiple dimensions of development.
The case of Tierra del Fuego illustrates how the BRICS+ could offer a new avenue for South-South cooperation that is more flexible and adaptable to the needs and aspirations of different regions. While Argentina’s Milei may have closed a door on BRICS, he was unable to completely server any contact with BRICS+ as another multipolar door opens for this country’s southern region.