MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Indonesia joins BRICS as full member, Brasilia confirms

Brazil took over the bloc's rotating presidency on Jan. 1.

Brazil's government confirmed Monday that Indonesia had joined the BRICS bloc as a full member, making it the first country to do so this year, Agencia Brasil reported. The alliance now has the fourth largest population on the planet, with the new partner's 284 million inhabitants making it the 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, according to the World Bank.

“The Brazilian government congratulates the Indonesian government on joining the BRICS. With the largest population and largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia shares with the other members of the group its support for the reform of global governance institutions and contributes positively to the deepening of cooperation in the Global South, which are priority themes for the Brazilian presidency of the BRICS,” Brazil's Foreign Ministry (MRE) said in a statement.

Nine countries are expected to formally join BRICS this year, including Cuba, Bolivia, Malaysia and Thailand, either as full or associoate members. Brazil took over the bloc's rotating presidency on Jan. 1.

According to Itamaraty, Indonesia's candidacy was endorsed by the group at the Johannesburg summit in August 2023 in South Africa. However, it was only after Indonesia's presidential elections in 2024 that its interest in joining the BRICS was made official.

“The BRICS countries, by consensus, approved Indonesia's entry into the grouping, in line with the guiding principles, criteria and procedures for the expansion of membership agreed in Johannesburg,” the MRE also explained.

With 13 countries invited to join the BRICS, Nigeria, Turkey, Algeria and Vietnam are expected to confirm their participation shortly.

By 2024, the bloc had already welcomed five new members, bringing its total to ten. Until then made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, last year the BRICS included Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. Although Saudi Arabia has not signed up to the group, it has taken part in all the meetings.

Argentina's access had been approved in 2023 under then-President Alberto Fernández but by the time it should have actually joined (Jan. 1, 2024), Javier Milei had taken over and declined the opportunity.