Indonesia Joins BRICS Bloc as Full Member [Video]

Indonesia on Monday officially joined the BRICS bloc of developing nations, marking a significant expansion of the group’s global influence.

Why It Matters

Indonesia’s entry comes as there is a rising BRICS appeal among emerging economies seeking to challenge the dominance of Western-led institutions, and the development signals a broader shift in global power dynamics as BRICS continues to attract nations from across the Global South.

BRICS, originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, expanded in 2010 to include South Africa. The alliance, conceived as a counterweight to the Group of Seven, has seen steady growth. Its name derives from an economic term used in the early 2000s to describe rising countries expected to dominate the global economy by 2050.

Last year, it added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE to its ranks, with Saudi Arabia invited to join. Meanwhile, countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied for …