Indonesia’s Consideration to Join BRICS: Minister of Foreign Affairs Reveals Invitation and Benefits

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi admitted that foreign ministers from BRICS member countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) invited Indonesia to join.

This was revealed in the DPR Commission I working meeting (raker), Thursday (31/8/2023), when Retno Marsudi answered several questions from Commission I members regarding BRICS membership.

“From the start, BRICS had thoughts of expanding its membership. All BRICS foreign ministers made an approach to Indonesia to invite Indonesia to join the BRICS,” Retno said at a meeting at the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta.

Even so, he stressed that until now Indonesia had not joined the BRICS.

Also read: Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia has not yet joined as a BRICS member

According to him, Indonesia is still considering what benefits it will get if it joins.

“So we can say that until now Indonesia has not joined BRICS. The President’s presence at the BRICS Summit in South Africa was because Indonesia was invited as a guest to represent Indonesia and also as chair of ASEAN,” said Retno.

Furthermore, Retno said that Indonesia had not yet submitted a letter of expression of interest or a letter of interest to join BRICS membership.

This is because Indonesia is still conducting an in-depth study regarding the BRICS countries’ foreign ministers’ invitation.

“And the President while in South Africa also said that individually the member countries, BRICS members, we have a strong relationship with all BRICS member countries,” said Retno.

Also read: Jokowi Reveals Reasons Indonesia Has Not Submitted to Be a BRICS Member

Previously it was reported, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that Indonesia was not yet a new member of the BRICS organization.

This was conveyed by President Jokowi after attending the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 24 August 2023.

“To become a new member of the BRICS, a country must submit a letter of expression of interest. Everyone must submit the letter. And until now, Indonesia has not submitted the letter,” Jokowi said in a statement broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel, Thursday evening.

The President then explained why the Indonesian government had not submitted the letter of intent to join.

Also read: BRICS Will Add 6 New Members Next Year, See the List

According to him, the government wants to study BRICS membership first.

In addition, Indonesia will also calculate various matters related to membership in the organization.

Therefore, Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia did not want to rush into becoming a BRICS member.

“Because we want to study it first, calculate it first. We don’t want to rush it and also our relations with the five BRICS member countries are also very good, especially in the economic field,” Jokowi said.

Also read: Speaking at the BRICS Summit, Jokowi alluded to the unfair world economic order

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2023-08-31 09:41:00
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