Luhut Reveals Indonesia Is A Big Country If It Sides With One Country

JAKARTA - Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that his joining as a member of the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, Chinese and South African alliances (BRICS) shows that Indonesia is a sovereign and independent country and does not side with one particular country.

"We are a sovereign country, a big country. I once wrote in South China Sea, I said Indonesia is too big to lead to any country. Indonesia is too big to side with one country. I mean at that time China and America," he said at a press conference, Thursday, January 9.

Luhut said that the joining of Indonesia as a member of the BRICS alliance will expand market access as one of the advantages such as being able to get cheaper supplies of gas and crude so as to benefit the development of industries in the country.

"What are our advantages with BRICS, yes our market is bigger. Because this is a problem, if we are not careful with the problems that exist in China now, and also the problems in Europe where the current gas from Russia is stopped by them, there will be an energy crisis problem in Europe," he said.

Luhut explained that one of Indonesia's considerations for joining as a member of the BRICS alliance is that the issue of potential geopolitical conflicts and trade wars will take place in the future.

"So we really pay close attention to this combination of problems. So one of the tasks of the DEN earlier provided input to the President in the decision-making process," he concluded.