By: Reni Kartikasari
The presence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto at the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro marks a new chapter in Indonesia’s global diplomacy map. Arriving on Saturday morning, July 5, 2025, at Galeao Air Base, Rio de Janeiro, Prabowo continued his series of international visits that previously included an important visit to Saudi Arabia. This visit reflects the intensity of Indonesian diplomacy under the new leadership, which prioritizes strategic relations across regions.
Prabowo’s arrival was welcomed directly by a number of high-ranking Brazilian officials, including Laudemar Gonçalves de Aguiar Neto, an official from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a number of military representatives from the host country. From the Indonesian side, the welcoming was carried out by the Indonesian Ambassador to Brasilia, Edi Yusup, as well as the Defense Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy and the Indonesian diaspora community who showed high enthusiasm for Indonesia’s active role in the BRICS forum.
The BRICS Forum held on July 6-7, 2025 is a historic moment for Indonesia, because for the first time it is present as a full member. Since officially joining on January 1, 2025, Indonesia now stands alongside major countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as other new members such as Ethiopia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
According to the official statement of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prabowo will use this forum to emphasize Indonesia’s position as a bridge builder or dialogue bridge on various global issues. Indonesia, as a country at the crossroads of global power and the Global South, wants to strengthen its role in creating a more just, balanced, and inclusive global governance.
The Foreign Ministry added that Prabowo will voice the importance of strategic collaboration to overcome various global challenges. In a world that is currently experiencing geopolitical tensions, development inequality, and technological disruption, Indonesia wants to be a mediating force that offers collective solutions based on cooperation.
The President’s state agenda does not stop in Rio de Janeiro. After attending the BRICS Summit series, Prabowo will continue his visit to the Brazilian capital, Brasília, on July 8–9, 2025. There, he is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the Brazilian government to strengthen cooperation in various sectors, from trade, energy, defense, to food security. This step shows Indonesia’s seriousness in establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with partner countries in the Latin American region.
Prabowo’s presence at the BRICS forum was also accompanied by an important delegation, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Djiwandono. The composition of this delegation reflects Indonesia’s priority of not only wanting to be involved in political and diplomatic aspects, but also maximizing opportunities for economic, financial, technological and educational cooperation through the BRICS platform.
The BRICS 2025 Forum itself carries the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation to a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”. This theme is in line with Indonesia’s vision of encouraging the strengthening of the role of developing countries in world governance. Amidst the still striking inequality in global architecture, BRICS is considered an alternative forum to balance the influence of large countries in the West.
During the forum, BRICS leaders are scheduled to discuss global priority issues, such as geopolitical conflicts, global governance reform, and strengthening multilateralism. Issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, global health, and financial cooperation are also on the main discussion agenda. For Indonesia, active involvement in these issues is not only to answer global challenges, but also to strengthen Indonesia’s bargaining position on the international stage.
As a new member, Indonesia did not come empty-handed. Since joining early this year, Indonesia has participated in more than 165 BRICS meetings, including 20 ministerial-level meetings. These activities show that Indonesia is not just a spectator, but also contributes to formulating the direction and strategy of cooperation among Global South countries.
In the process, Indonesia also wants to ensure that national interests remain a priority. BRICS membership is used to fight for greater access to technology, investment in strategic sectors, and fairer development financing. This is in line with the national development agenda that wants to create inclusive and sustainable growth.
The 2025 BRICS summit is targeted to produce an important document in the form of a Leaders’ Declaration, which will contain the collective positions and commitments of member countries on various strategic world issues. This declaration is also a concrete manifestation of cross-sector and actor collaboration in responding to global challenges, while building trust among developing countries.
With all these dynamics, Indonesia’s presence at the 2025 BRICS Summit is not just symbolic participation. This is a strategic step in expanding Indonesia’s influence at the global level. Under Prabowo’s leadership, Indonesia wants to play an active role in shaping a more balanced, inclusive, and equitable world architecture.
This visit shows that Indonesia is not only ready to be an equal partner in international forums, but also ready to appear as a regional and global leader that fights for the common interests of developing countries. Along with the strengthening position of BRICS as an alternative power in the world system, Indonesia’s steps to join and actively contribute are a manifestation of intelligent, open, and future-oriented diplomacy.
International Political Observer – Global Politics Institute
