Indonesia sees full BRICS membership as ‘valuable’ for Global South cooperation: Comment


JAKARTA: Indonesia welcomed its official full membership of BRICS on Tuesday (Jan 7), hailing the development as “a strategic step” in fostering cooperation with fellow Global South countries to promote a “just and peaceful” world.

But analysts urged the government to exercise caution as a BRICS member amid the current fragile geopolitical situation marked by widening divisions among major powers. T

The news of Indonesia’s new BRICS status came from Brazil, this year’s chair of the group, which released a statement on Monday welcoming Jakarta’s formal entry as a full member, officially concluding its status as a partner country for the past two months.

“As the largest economy and most populous nation in South-East 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,” the statement from Brazil read.

In response, the Foreign Ministry extended its appreciation to Brazil, the group and its 2024 chair Russia for their assistance in the accession. It also called the entry a milestone for Jakarta’s “growing and active role in global affairs”.

“Indonesia believes that BRICS provides a valuable platform for fostering South-South cooperation and ensuring that the voices and aspirations of developing countries are heard and reflected in global decision-making processes,” the ministry wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

BRICS, an economic grouping consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has ramped up its efforts to expand in recent years by inviting major developing countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to join its cause in providing an alternative to a world order that they say is dominated by wealthy Western nations.

The group has also pledged to champion the interests of the Global South, which BRICS members believe have been treated unfairly on the global stage.

The strategic competition between China and the United States has led to global diplomatic tensions, as has Russia’s continued dissatisfaction with Western countries’ economic sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Speculation about Indonesia joining BRICS emerged in 2023, when then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended a summit of the grouping in South Africa.

Analysts warned Jakarta to be cautious, highlighting that its relationship with the US could sour if it was perceived as getting too cozy with Washington’s rivals.

In the past decade, Jakarta has been closely balancing its relationship with Washington and Beijing as part of its free and active diplomatic policy, refusing to align with any one superpower amid intense geopolitical pressure.

Indonesia has on various occasions claimed that joining BRICS would not affect its long-standing free and active foreign policy. President Prabowo Subianto asserted in December 2024 that there would be “no problem” in the matter as the government was only seeking to “think about the welfare of its people”.

After Brazil’s announcement, China welcomed Indonesia’s entry into BRICS, saying the country “believes that Indonesia will make an active contribution” to the group’s development.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Jakarta wrote in a statement on Tuesday that Washington “believes sovereign countries have the freedom to make their own choices about the groupings in which they associate”.

The spokesperson added that the US “works closely and collaboratively with a number of BRICS countries in areas of common interest”.

Some observers expressed optimism that Indonesia’s BRICS membership could help the country foster stronger South-South relationships.

International relations expert Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said that a BRICS membership could prove useful for Indonesia and would not lead to deviations from the country’s existing free and active foreign policy.

“I don’t think there’s a political shift, only an expansion of the space in which Indonesia can manoeuvre,” she said.

“I think it’s strategic enough [for Indonesia] to join BRICS. [...] It’s looking like Indonesia wants to play its part in being a middle power,” Dewi continued.

Other analysts believe the political costs of joining BRICS may outweigh the economic benefits and see the decision to enter the group as political in nature amid statements it has made against the West in recent years.

“BRICS is supposed to be an economy-focused group, but it remains unseen what agenda they’re trying to advance,” said Yose Rizal Damuri, executive director of the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), on Tuesday.

He added that the group was riddled with problems, with members India and China frequently in contention. Yose saw BRICS leaning more toward being a geopolitical group for its members.

“There are many other ways to strengthen South-South cooperation, including through the Group of 20 [G20], MIKTA and many others,” he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN

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Indonesia , BRICS , membership , analysts

   

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