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Indonesian president thanks Russia for expediting BRICS membership

Russia presided in BRICS in 2024, with the key event of the presidency being a BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October, where it was decided to establish a category of BRICS partner countries

ST. PETERSBURG, June 19. /TASS/. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for helping fast-track the Asian country’s accession to BRICS.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to the Russian Federation for supporting Indonesia in gaining full BRICS membership over such a short time," he said when the two leaders met on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Russia presided in BRICS in 2024, with the key event of the presidency being a BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia in October, where it was decided to establish a category of BRICS partner countries. The first countries to become partners were Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. Indonesia was initially named a partner country as well, but an announcement was issued on January 6 that it joined the group as a full member.

Prabowo Subianto thanked Putin for hosting him in July 2024 in his capacity as president-elect. He also explained that he was unable to attend the BRICS summit in Kazan, as it took place during his first days in office.

"Of course I wanted to attend the summit in Kazan in person, but the thing is that at that time it had only been one day since my inauguration and I had to take care of appointments to the new cabinet," he said.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place from June 18-21. The event’s theme is "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." It hosts thematic zones such as the "Territory of Innovations" and "Buy Russian!"

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, the Drug Security Forum, and the Roscongress Urban Hub discussion platform. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival will be held, and the SPIEF Sports Games will take place.

The Roscongress Foundation is the event’s organizer. TASS is its media partner.

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BRICS Indonesia

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