Wijaya, who accompanied President Prabowo to the first day of the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday, remarked that Indonesia was warmly welcomed at the meeting.
"Indonesia's entry into BRICS membership was a direct initiative from President Prabowo in his first year as head of state, and it was welcomed by all BRICS members," he noted in a statement on Monday.
The summit, themed "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance," was President Prabowo's first BRICS summit and marked Indonesia's first year as a full member in 2025.
After being officially declared a full member in January 2025, Indonesia was immediately accepted as the 10th member of BRICS.
"This reflects the significance of Indonesia's role at the global level," Wijaya remarked.
Related news: BRICS adopts Rio Declaration, welcomes Indonesia as member
BRICS originally consisted of five countries but has now expanded to include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia.
According to Wijaya, these member countries represent 50 percent of the world's population and 35 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
President Prabowo believes that Indonesia's participation in BRICS will strengthen its position in the global arena and underscores the importance of cooperation among countries to promote world stability and prosperity.
Wijaya also noted that Indonesia's BRICS membership reflects the diplomatic policy promoted by President Prabowo.
"Indonesia's entry into BRICS embodies the principle held by the head of state that a thousand friends are too few, one enemy is too many," he noted.
Related news: Brazil's Lula links BRICS to Bandung 1955 non-aligned principles
Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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