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JAKARTA – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied rumors that his government wants to join the economic bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).

“We will not participate in this bloc, this association. Of course, we welcome the fact that other countries are doing this. However, for economic, environmental and geopolitical reasons, we will continue to strengthen the North American and Pan American alliance,” he said as quoted by Anadolu’s ANTARA on Wednesday, August 9.

Rumors that Mexico wanted to join the bloc emerged in early March when South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said a number of developing countries had expressed interest in joining BRICS, including Mexico. .

However, Lopez Obrador strongly denied these rumors.

“Our proposal is to strengthen the agreement with the United States and Canada, to consolidate us as a region, to strengthen us, to help each other, to complement each other, to share investments, to share technology, something from fundamental, the workforce,” he said.

The BRICS appear as a very promising alternative for countries in the southern hemisphere trying to resist Western commercial and economic pressures.

The bloc has over 40% of the world’s population and 30% of the world’s GDP.

This is not the first time that Lopez Obrador has resisted the weakening of American influence in favor of closer ties with other Latin American countries.

In January, Lopez Obrador rejected an initiative to launch a common currency for Latin America proposed by Brazil and Argentina.

He said it was in Mexico’s interest to keep the US dollar as its currency.

However, the Mexican leader continued to promise efforts to integrate all of the Americas and emphasize North America’s broader relationship with the rest of Latin America.

“We will consolidate relations with North America, and we will seek integration across America in the medium and long term, but we will change the old policies that are not working and also convince the political class, especially the political class, especially the United States, of the importance of Latin America,” said López Obrador.

Tags: international mexico russia economy