Indonesia not anti-West after joining BRICS: Deputy Foreign Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno emphasized that Indonesia is not taking an anti-West stance after joining BRICS, an economic cooperation group consisting of 10 countries, including India, Iran, Russia, and China.

He made the statement during the event “Double Check: President Prabowo’s Gains from Visiting the International World", organized by the Presidential Communication Office here on Saturday (July 19).

Oegroseno explained that India, one of the founding members of BRICS, sent its foreign minister to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. India is also a member of the Quad, alongside Japan, Australia, and the US.

Therefore, he emphasized that Indonesia is not anti-West, as it maintains good relations with India, including through BRICS.

He underlined that Indonesia has gained positive benefits by joining BRICS, especially regarding fair and sustainable vegetable oil standards.

“With BRICS, we can engage in discussions about new (vegetable oil) standards, because when we talk about sustainability, it comes down to standards. Europe has its own standards, and we have ours,” Oegroseno said.

He also noted that BRICS recently held a meeting of countries producing critical raw minerals.

According to him, all of these mineral-producing countries are developing nations that generally lack the capacity to fully benefit from their resources without foreign investment.

During the meeting, he said, many participants asked Indonesia about its downstreaming policy and how the country balances economic gains with social and environmental responsibilities.

“This was a new kind of meeting, and we hope that in the coming years it will evolve into a new kind of grouping,” he added.