BRICS officially welcomes Indonesia as new member

Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS group, which includes emerging economies such as Russia and China, and is seen as a counterweight to Western influence. Brazil, which currently holds the BRICS rotating presidency, announced that Indonesia would join as a full member. Indonesia welcomed the news, calling it "delightful."

A statement released by Jakarta's foreign ministry emphasized that joining BRICS is a "strategic step to strengthen cooperation and partnerships with other developing countries, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and sustainable development." The foreign ministry also expressed "gratitude" to Russia, the 2024 BRICS rotating chair, for its assistance and leadership in facilitating Indonesia's accession to the group.

Earlier, the Brazilian foreign ministry stated that Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia, "like other member states, hopes to reform global governance institutions and make a positive contribution to cooperation among countries in the Global South." Indonesia's application to join the group was approved at the summit held in Johannesburg in 2023.

The acronym BRICS was originally coined by a Goldman Sachs banker in the early 2000s. The group was formally established in 2009, with founding members including Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the following year. Last year, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates also became full members, further expanding the group.

BRICS is increasingly seen as a counterweight to Western power, with one of its key goals being the "de-dollarization" of international trade. Many member states accuse Washington of using the dollar as a political tool, and the group has proposed the idea of establishing a common currency.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS countries if they choose to replace the dollar in international trade. Despite this, Brazil has stated its intention to advance this initiative during its BRICS presidency. The government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has stated its aim to develop alternative payment methods to facilitate trade among member countries.

In its statement, Indonesia said, "This achievement demonstrates Indonesia's growing activism in global issues and its commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation to build a more inclusive and equitable global structure."