Indonesia, which has received the status of a BRICS partner country, intends to join the association as a full-fledged participant. This was stated by Indonesian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Jose Antonio Morato Tavares.
“We are positive about the future of bilateral relations, we expect more dynamic relations [with the Russian Federation]. Indonesia is interested in joining BRICS. We are currently a partner country. We expect that Indonesia will be able to become a full member of the organization,” he said, speaking at a conference at the Russian State University for the Humanities dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Indonesia.
The diplomat also noted that negotiations are ongoing to establish a free trade zone between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union.
As leaders of the BRICS nations previusly met in BRICS summit 2024 Kazan, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said the process of joining that group has begun, according to Reuters. Indonesia’s membership in BRICS is a manifestation of its independent-active foreign policy,” Sugiono, who was just appointed foreign minister, said in a statement, adding that like many Indonesians, he goes by one name. “That doesn’t mean that we belong to certain bloc, but we participate actively in every forum.”
“In 2023, more than 161 thousand Russian tourists visited Indonesia, and from January to October 2024 – more than 144 thousand. Of course, we are also interested in increasing the number of students studying abroad, including in Russia,” the ambassador added.
