Indonesia wants to join Brics

JAKARTA — Indonesia has expressed its desire to join the Brics group of major emerging economies, which accounts for 35 per cent of global economic output, as a means to strengthen emerging countries, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

As Brics world leaders convened in Kazan, Russia, for a summit this week, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said late on Oct 24 that the process of joining the group has begun.

"Indonesia joining Brics is a manifestation of its independent-active foreign policy," said newly appointed Foreign Minister Sugiono, whose name, like for many Indonesians, has just one word.

"That does not mean we join a certain bloc, but we actively participate in every forum."

Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous nation, holds a non-aligned foreign policy.

President Prabowo Subianto, who took office on Oct 20, has stressed repeatedly that he will befriend all countries, be they China or the US, and that Indonesia will not be joining any military bloc.

Sugiono said Brics suits Prabowo's main government programmes "especially with regard to food and energy security, poverty eradication and the advancement of human resources", adding that Indonesia sees the group as a vehicle to further the interests of the Global South.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said more than 30 countries had expressed a desire to join Brics, though there was little immediate clarity on how the expansion would work.

Current members include Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said his country is ready to work with Brics, although he fell short of stating Vietnam's explicit interest in joining the club.

A Vietnamese official told Reuters before the three-day summit that Vietnam was interested in joining Brics, but the timing and scope of application was not clear.

One official from a Brics country said Vietnam had expressed interest in becoming a partner, which is a step towards possible membership.

Professor Yohanes Sulaiman, an international relations expert at Jenderal Achmad Yani University in Indonesia, questioned the benefits of Indonesia joining Brics as they can be gleaned from bilateral relations, but said it shows the country does not want to miss out.

"It's better to follow than to be left behind," he said, adding that it does not necessarily mean Prabowo's foreign policy adheres more to the East than to the West.

In a bid to attract more investment and trade deals from its members, Indonesia said earlier in 2024 before Prabowo took office that it aims to complete the accession to become a member of the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development within two to three years.

The Brics summit in Kazan touched on war in the Middle East and Ukraine, though there were no signs that anything specific would be done to end either conflict.

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