The BRICS member states have decided to invite Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join the organization, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
“We have decided to invite Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to become full members of BRICS,” Ramaphosa said in a speech at the BRICS summit.
The membership of these countries will become official on January 1, 2024, the South African leader explained.
Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Masa said work on the establishment of a joint Argentine-Brazilian currency will begin as early as this week, the Argentine press reported.
“There is a decision to start studying the parameters necessary to create a common currency, this concerns everything from taxation issues to the size of the economies and the role of central banks,” Masa said in a conversation with Argentine journalists.
“The goal is to give impetus to regional trade and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar,” the minister added.
“We have to explore the mechanisms of commercial integration. I am not going to speak with false expectations, because this is only the first step in the long journey that Latin America must take,” Masa stressed.
However, the project initiated by Argentina and Brazil is not limited to these two countries. Other countries in the region may join the initiative in the future.
The idea of creating a common currency for the two countries was voiced at a recent meeting between the presidents of Argentina and Brazil, Alberto Fernandez and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Mass celebrations were held in the capital of Argentina after the national team won the FIFA World Cup final, the Spanish-language media reported.
Tens of thousands of people dressed in blue and white with flags in their hands and on their shoulders gathered on the streets of Buenos Aires. The main gathering place was Republic Square, where one of the main landmarks, the Obelisk, is located.
Central streets were filled with fans a few minutes after the final whistle. The crowd sang, danced and chanted the name of the national team captain – Lionel Messi. In addition, the fans unfurled banners, in particular with the image of the legend of Argentine soccer Diego Maradona.
In the center of Buenos Aires motorists actively honked in support of the team, the subway in the city center was closed, and public transport stopped working, so those wishing to celebrate the victory moved around the city on foot.
Argentine fans who came to Qatar for the World Cup also celebrated loudly. After the match, the national team players rode an open-topped bus through the streets. They were accompanied by a motorcade of security personnel and mounted police. The fans cheered, applauded and applauded them.
Argentina captain Messi said after the match that he “can’t wait to be in Argentina and see all this madness.” “It wasn’t easy for us, but we made it,” he added.
The day before, Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final.
Within the program of celebrating Malbec World Day, a professional tasting was held under the auspices of the Embassy of Argentina, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, the Wines of Argentina association and the Argentine Wine Company.
The organizer of the tasting with food-and-wine pairing was the Cheese Kingdom chain of stores.
The Ambassador’s residence has become a real reflection of the culture of Argentina, where an incredible atmosphere soared thanks to the best professionals in their field.
Ideal pairs were chosen and the wines were commented on: Valeria Gamper – Best Sommelier in Argentina 2019, Juan Pablo Murgia – Best Argentine Oenologist 2021 under 40, Emiliano Stratico – WSET teacher in Bordeaux, and Denis Priimagi – First Cheese Sommelier in Ukraine, the author of Cheese Kingdom and a jury member of The World Cheese Awards.
The tasting was attended by professional figures of Ukraine: the best sommeliers and cavists, the owners of culinary schools, catering companies, event operators and other professionals in the high-end gastronomy segment.
The following best combinations were selected:
1) Argento Organic Malbec 2020 with Beemster Royaal Grand Cru;
2) La Mascota Malbec 2019 – Aged Sheep Cheese (6 months);
3) Santa Ana Malbec Reserve – Gudbrandsdalen;
4) Fuzion Malbec 2018 – Gorgonzola Dolce;
5) La Linda Malbec 2018 – Der Alte old Gouda;
6) Trapiche Malbec – Tete de Moine.
Cheese Kingdom is a family of atmospheric Dutch cheese shops, with 100 types of cheese from Europe. The mission of the Cheese Kingdom chain is to develop the European culture of cheese consumption in Ukraine. To teach understand it, love, create, serve, cut, taste and cook correctly every day. Today there are 74 stores in the Cheese Kingdom chain throughout Ukraine.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine and the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection have agreed with the relevant authority in Argentina on the form of an export veterinary certificate for the supply of milk and dairy products to this country, the service said in a press release.
“We are making every effort to provide Ukrainian companies with new opportunities for doing business and exporting their goods. Thanks to this work, Ukrainian producers have gained additional access to the large Argentinean market, where more than 40 million people live,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
According to the service, in order to export to Argentina, Ukrainian dairy producers must be accredited by the National Service of Agri-Food Health and Quality of Argentina (SENASA). The Argentine side allowed, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, to conduct accreditation of production facilities of Ukrainian enterprises remotely, followed by a physical inspection of production facilities after the normalization of the epidemic situation and the restoration of international air traffic.
The head of the agency, Vladyslava Mahaletska, specified that the opening of the Argentinean market for Ukrainian dairy products is an important step towards strengthening trade ties between the countries. She recalled that the form of veterinary certificates for the export of collagen and gelatin has already been agreed with Argentina, while Argentine poultry, fish and seafood, fresh beef will be imported to Ukraine.
“Opening the market for the export of dairy products will expand our cooperation and create new opportunities for Ukrainian producers,” she said.
JSC Zaporizhtransformator (ZTR), a part of the Energy Standard group of businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, has prepared three single-phase shunt reactors ROM-55125/525-T1 for shipment under a contract with Transener S.A. (Argentina) for the supply of equipment for installation at the ET Puelches substation to replace the old one.
According to a message on the company’s website, thus, the enterprise resumes the supply of equipment to the market of this country after a more than six-year break.
“Zaporizhtransformator has been cooperating with Transener SA for a long time and has carried out more than one supply, but in general, the plant has been present in the Argentine market since the 70s, but the last order was completed in 2014. At the end of 2017, it was decided to return to this market, and representatives of the plant held negotiations on the resumption of cooperation with Argentine energy companies. The result was the victory in the tender and the signing of the contract,” the press service of the enterprise said.
Preparation for the tender and receipt of the order (the cost of which was not disclosed) lasted about six months. The main competitors in the tender were Brazilian manufacturers, in particular the ABB company.
“When supplying to South America, the lion’s share of the costs is logistics, which often makes manufacturers from other continents uncompetitive. Therefore, in order to compete with local manufacturers in a tender and provide the best price offer, Zaporizhtransformator managed to work with transport companies to work out the possibility of shipping reactors by container lines, which significantly reduced the cost of the logistics of the order and made it possible to compete with Brazilian companies,” the company said.
The circle of tender participants, according to the report, also narrowed due to the lack of experience in the design and production of similar equipment (single-phase reactors with a maximum voltage of 550 kV) for at least ten years, which allowed the enterprise “to compete in the tender only with serious companies.”
The message said that due to the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, equipment tests took place online for the first time. Upon arrival of the reactors at the facility, it is planned to install and start up equipment in the presence of a representative of the ZTR service center.
JSC Zaporizhtransformator is a large manufacturer of transformer equipment, has experience in deliveries to 88 countries. It produces power oil transformers, electric reactors and controlled shunt reactors.
Transener S.A. is the leading Argentine company in the transmission of extra high voltage electric power.
