The government of Brazil, which holds the presidency of BRICS in 2025, on January 6 announced the formal entry of Indonesia into BRICS as a full member.
The BRICS is an informal group of countries that originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. BRICS has recently expanded its membership to include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Iran. In September 2024, it was announced that Turkey had applied to join BRICS.
BRICS leaders endorsed Indonesia’s candidacy during the Johannesburg Summit in August 2023, as part of the group’s expansion process for full members. Due to the 2024 presidential elections, Indonesia formally notified the group of its interest in joining BRICS only after the establishment of its new government. In 2024, the BRICS countries approved by consensus Indonesia’s membership in line with the guiding principles, criteria, and procedures for expansion agreed upon in Johannesburg.
As the largest economy and most populous nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia shares with other BRICS members the support for the reform of the global governance institutions and contributes significantly to the deepening of Global South cooperation, priorities that align with Brazil’s theme for its presidency: “Enhancing Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”.
