Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as a full member, the group's new rotating chairman, Brazil, said in a statement today, quoted by Reuters.
Indonesia, which is the world's fourth most populous country, has previously expressed a desire to join the group as a means of strengthening developing countries and protecting the interests of the so-called. Global South, Reuters recalls.
Brazil - the BRICS chair in 2025 - said member states had unanimously approved Indonesia's accession under an expansion initiative approved at the group's 2023 summit in Johannesburg.
Brazil noted that Indonesia's candidacy was given the green light by the bloc in 2023, but the Asian country requested to join after last year's presidential election. President Prabowo Subianto took office in October.
“Indonesia shares with other members of the group its support for reforms of global governance institutions and contributes positively to deepening cooperation in the Global South,“ the Brazilian government said.
BRICS also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.