He stated this in an interview with TASS.

Ushakov recalled that after the presidential elections, the new administration of Argentina sent official letters to the BRICS member countries refusing to participate in the association.

“This was the choice of the Argentine authorities and it must, of course, be respected.

But, in principle, in terms of its political and economic weight, this state is certainly worthy of being a participant in our association,” summed up the agency’s interlocutor.

On December 29, the Infobae portal reported that Argentine President Javier Miley, in letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, rejected an invitation for his country to join BRICS.

However, 15 Argentine deputies demanded that the authorities justify their abandonment of BRICS.

The Russian leader's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, noted that the refusal of the Argentine authorities to participate in BRICS is regrettable, but this is the country's sovereign right.