Indonesia Gets Support From Founding Countries To Accelerate BRICS Membership Process

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roy Soemirat. (VOI/AFI)

JAKARTA - Indonesia has received support from a number of founding countries to accelerate the membership process of the BRICS economic group initiated by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

"Yes, it is true that several BRICS founders have stated explicitly that they will help accelerate the Indonesian membership process," said Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat in Jakarta, Thursday, December 5.

Roy further explained that Indonesia had actually submitted an application to become a full member at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia last October.

"Bola di tangan mereka, mau mempercepat, melambatkan. Yang kami tahu, saat ini secara informal banyak negara, baik founder BRICS maupun negara lain yang bergabung belakan belakangan menyatakan, mereka sangat positif terhadap aplikasi yang diajukan Indonesia," jelas Roy.

Roy said it was clear what to do with the country that was submitting the application, a period of waiting for the verdict.

"Usually, the next summit decision will be taken. However, it is possible that there will be special efforts from BRICS countries to make formal decisions on requests for this application sooner without waiting for the next summit," Roy explained.

Previously, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the process of Indonesia joining BRICS continued. He said Indonesia had the support of one of the founders of the forum, China.

The support, said Foreign Minister Sugiono, was obtained when President Prabowo Subianto made his first foreign work visit to China.

The Foreign Minister said that what BRICS was fighting for was in line with what Indonesia was fighting for.

The Foreign Minister assessed that BRICS is a medium that Indonesia will be able to use as the right vehicle in discussing and advancing the interests of developing countries.

President Prabowo himself previously emphasized that Indonesia's decision to enter the global economic bloc such as BRICS and OECD was taken for the benefit of the nation.