The BRICS+ grouping of countries added its 10th member this week as Indonesia acceded to the expanding bloc, which now counts Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates among its members, in addition to the ‘core five’ of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that “BRICS is an important platform for Indonesia to strengthen South-South cooperation, ensuring that the voices and aspirations of Global South countries are heard and represented in global decision-making processes.”
Indonesia’s new president, former defence minister Prabowo Subianto, was inaugurated in October. Indonesia’s move to join BRICS+ can be seen as part of Prabowo’s desire to balance relations between Russia, China, and the U.S. — a hallmark of Indonesia’s long-standing “free and active” foreign policy, which emphasizes non-alignment and strategic autonomy.
Prabowo, while president-elect, visited Moscow and pledged to strengthen co-operation with Russia on defence and energy. In November, he visited U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, where the two leaders marked 75 years of diplomatic relations “built on shared values of democracy, pluralism, and a common commitment to the rules-based international order.”
Ottawa is also seeking to strengthen relations with Indonesia. The two countries announced the conclusion of negotiations towards a free trade agreement last month.
