Johannesburg - On August 24, the BRICS group welcomed six new members, including Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, conspicuously absent from this expansion was Indonesia.

Indonesia, a staunch ally of both Russia and China, has been cautious about rushing into BRICS membership due to concerns about potential conflicts between the emerging markets consortium and the Western world.

"Until recently, most BRICS observers considered Indonesia's accession as highly likely. Looking at indicators like GDP, population, and geographical location, it appeared to be the logical choice," stated Oliver Stuenkel, an international relations professor at FGVRI in San Paulo.

Unexpectedly, Indonesia decided at the eleventh hour to abstain from joining as a new member. The official rationale cited Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship for the current year. Jakarta expressed the need to confer with fellow ASEAN members regarding its potential admission before making a final decision. Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s BRICS sherpa, explained in an interview, "The other countries were unanimously accepted, making the decision-making process very straightforward."

Some analysts have pointed to China's assertive vision of the BRICS as a geopolitical competitor challenging Western dominance as the underlying issue. Jakarta wishes to avoid entanglement in such a conflict.

While Indonesia is enthusiastic about maintaining economic cooperation with leading BRICS nations, it aims to wait and observe global diplomatic dynamics before committing to full membership.

The BRICS+'s stance towards the Western world remains a contentious issue that the group must grapple with. China and Russia, already at odds with the West, seek a more confrontational approach. Conversely, India, South America, and Brazil have explicitly expressed their preference for maintaining amicable commercial ties and avoiding antagonism.

Goldman Sachs' Jim O'Neill initially formulated straightforward inclusion criteria for the group, coining the acronym in 2001: large country, substantial population, and significant GDP. By these standards, Indonesia with a population of 275 million and a $1.2 trillion economy fits the bill comfortably.

Furthermore, Indonesia's economy outstrips the economies of the six new members: Argentina ($641 billion), Egypt ($387 billion), Ethiopia ($156 billion), Iran ($367 billion), UAE ($499 billion), and even the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ($1.1 trillion). When combined with the original five members, the economies of the BRICS+ collectively amount to $30.8 trillion in nominal terms, constituting 30% of the global GDP.