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WASHINGTON – Mexico stressed that he was not interested in joining the bloc of countries BRICS , as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. He also stressed that he would focus on strengthening Mexico’s economic relations with United States of America (USA) and other neighboring countries.

“We will not participate in this bloc (BRICS), in this association. Of course, we are happy that other countries do. But for reasons of proximity, geopolitics, we will continue to strengthen our alliance with America North and all of America,” Obrador said. quoted by La Prensa Latina.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s statement followed media reports that Mexico was one of the countries that had applied to join the economic group of five developing countries which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

BRICS expansion plans are widely heard ahead of the bloc’s 15th summit in Johannesburg later this month. Obrador denied the report, stressing that his current administration’s priority was to develop relations under the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The United States and Canada are Mexico’s main trading partners, with approximately 85% of Mexican exports going to the two North American countries. According to a Washington Post report last week, U.S. imports from Mexico jumped about $10 billion year-over-year (YoY) in 2024.

Obrador added that he plans to further strengthen cooperation.

“Our program is to strengthen agreements with the United States and Canada, so that we consolidate as a region… We will continue integration across the Americas in the medium and long term. But we will change the old policies that have not worked and in addition, convince the political class, especially in the United States, of the importance of Latin America,” he said.

On the other hand, the South African Minister for International Relations, Naledi Pandor, said at the upcoming BRICS summit that South Africa would host 34 guest countries.

He confirmed that the bloc had received membership applications from more than 20 countries, including Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria , Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The summit will take place in South Africa from August 22-24.

(acr)