BRICS bloc officially welcomes Indonesia as new member

Indonesia has officially become a member of the BRICS group, which includes emerging economies like Russia and China and is seen as a counterweight to Western influence. Brazil, the current chair of BRICS, announced that Indonesia would join as a full member. Indonesia welcomed this, expressing they were "pleased" with the news.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta issued a statement emphasizing 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 ministry also expressed "gratitude" to Russia, the 2024 BRICS chair, for its assistance and leadership in facilitating Indonesia's membership in the group.

Earlier, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry stated that Indonesia, as the most populous country in Southeast Asia, "shares the desire of other member states to reform global governance institutions and make a positive contribution to cooperation within the Global South." Indonesia's application to join the group was approved during the Johannesburg Summit in 2023.

The acronym "BRICS" was initially coined by a Goldman Sachs banker in the early 2000s. The group was officially established in 2009 with founding members 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 a key goal being the "de-dollarization" of international trade. Many member countries accuse Washington of using the dollar as a political tool, and the group has proposed the idea of a common currency.

U.S. presidential candidate 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. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government has indicated its goal is to develop alternative payment methods to strengthen trade among member states.

Indonesia stated in its announcement: “This achievement demonstrates Indonesia's increasingly active role in global issues and its commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation to create a more inclusive and equitable global architecture.”