Brazilian President Lula invites Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico to participate in the BRICS summit, emphasizing the need to strengthen multilateralism and free trade. Uruguay’s President Orsi met with Dilma Rousseff, revealing that Uruguay’s entry into the New Development Bank (NDB) is nearly finalized. However, Orsi downplays the significance of joining BRICS, stressing that Uruguay’s historic alliances remain a priority alongside maintaining good relations with the United States.
During a recent event, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva extended an invitation to Uruguay, Colombia, and Mexico to participate in the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil. Despite their current non-member status, he emphasized the importance of these nations’ involvement for promoting global discussions. Lula highlighted the necessity of reinforcing multilateralism and free trade during the summit, asserting, “If there is no free trade, there is no multilateralism, there is no democracy.”
Lula further discussed the significant role of BRICS, noting that it comprises nations representing roughly half of the world’s population and GDP, stressing the importance of both China and India in this context. Separately, President Yamandu Orsi of Uruguay met with Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank (NDB), who confirmed that Uruguay’s accession process to the NDB is nearly complete, pending approval from local institutional bodies such as Parliament.
Despite the potential for joining the NDB, President Orsi minimized the implications of Uruguay’s integration, stating that the country is accustomed to existing historical alliances and emphasizing that this new initiative does not equate to joining BRICS. He expressed openness to exploring such opportunities, noting, “Everything must be explored and nothing should be wasted.” Furthermore, Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin assured the Uruguayan government’s intent to maintain strong relations with the United States, which remains cautious of the BRICS coalition.
Overall, the discussions highlight Uruguay’s cautious approach toward engagement with BRICS and its strategic interests in fostering relations without compromising existing alliances.
The article outlines Uruguay’s tentative involvement in the BRICS summit and its ongoing discussions about joining the NDB. President Lula’s invitations underscore the importance of multilateralism and free trade, while Uruguay’s leadership emphasizes their established relationships and cautious stance regarding new alliances. The commitment to maintaining favorable relations with the United States presents an additional layer to Uruguay’s diplomatic strategy in its foreign policy decisions.
Original Source: www.plenglish.com
