By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, has become the newest member of BRICS, the group of developing nations named after its initial members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Worthy News established Tuesday.
Brazil, which holds the bloc’s presidency in 2025, said the members approved Indonesia’s entry “by consensus” as part of an expansion push initially approved at the bloc’s 2023 summit in Johannesburg.
The move is part of efforts to expand the group as an alternative to the perceived U.S.-led global order ahead of Donald J. Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on January 2.
BRICS previously added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates to its ranks. Nations like Thailand and Malaysia have also expressed interest in joining.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, asked to join BRICS following last year’s presidential election. President Prabowo Subianto took office in October.
“Indonesia shares with the other members of the group support for the reform of global governance institutions and contributes positively to the deepening of cooperation in the Global South,” the Brazilian government stressed.
GLOBAL SOUTH
Officials said that during its presidency, Brazil seeks to increase cooperation between countries of the “Global South” and reform multilateral institutions.
According to the government of left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, one of the objectives is the “development of means of payment” to facilitate trade between member countries.
Worthy News documented that during the last BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in November 2024, member nations discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies.
However, U.S. President-elect Trump condemned the move and threatened the group’s members with “100 percent tariffs” if they undercut the American dollar.
This year’s BRICS summit will occur in Rio de Janeiro in July.
With Indonesia joining, the incoming Trump administration is due to remain on its guard as it rolls out its “America First” policies in domestic and international affairs.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The final days of Syria’s autocratic President Bashar al-Assad “unfolded in complete chaos,” with him being used as “a puppet” by various nations, a senior aid revealed Wednesday.
Iran’s military has launched massive drills aimed at improving its air defenses as Tehran rushes to enrich uranium to near atomic bomb levels, Worthy News monitored Wednesday.
Israel is committed to preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding in Lebanon and has stated that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in place until Hezbollah is fully dismantled, according to Brig.-Gen. Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of HaBithonistim.
U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump has refused to rule out using military force or economic pressure to pursue the acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
The founder of social media giant Meta pledged Tuesday to dismiss “fact-checkers,” “dramatically reduce the amount of censorship,” and recommend more political content on its platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
A Christian mother was killed and her teenage daughter critically injured after being shot in Pakistan’s city of Gujranwala by suspected Muslims who condemned their faith in Christ, well-informed sources told Worthy News.
The founder of France’s far-right National Rally party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who had convictions for Holocaust denial and a penchant for racist and antisemitic remarks, has died, his family confirmed. He was 96.