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President-elect to decide on Indonesia's BRICS membership — top diplomat

"We will continue to provide the elected president with information related to BRICS," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said

TOKYO, September 5. /TASS/. The decision on Indonesia's accession to BRICS will be made by Prabowo Subianto, the country’s president-elect, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

"The decision (on Indonesia to join BRICS - TASS) will be made by the next government formed. We will continue to provide the elected president with information related to BRICS," the Antara news agency quoted her as saying. The foreign minister mentioned her talking to Prabowo Subianto about BRICS shortly after he was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election.

On February 17, former Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobyova said that Indonesia is a strong candidate to join BRICS, but the country has not yet formally applied to join.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia will become full members on January 1, 2024. Russia chairs the group this year. The main event will be the forthcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 22-24, 2024.

Indonesia's presidential election was held on February 14, with Prabowo Subianto winning the vote. After his victory, Subianto promised a smooth transition of power and stated his desire to continue the policies of the current head of state. He also said he expected to take office after the inauguration on October 20. Joko Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is expected to join his team as vice president.

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