On Monday, the BRICS presiding nation, Brazil, confirmed that Indonesia had been accepted as a full member of the group of emerging countries.

Indonesia's candidature was accepted by the leaders of the BRICS in August 2023, according to the foreign ministry of Brazil, which is hosting the group for the 2024 presidency.

However, it was only after the formation of its recently elected administration last year that Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, made the decision to join the bloc formally.

In a statement, the Brazilian government said it was pleased to see Indonesia join the BRICS. The statement continued with Southeast Asia's largest economy and population, Indonesia, sharing a commitment with other members to advance South-South cooperation and reform global governance institutions.

Brazil, Russia, India and China founded BRICS in 2009, and South Africa joined in 2010. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined the alliance last year. Saudi Arabia has not yet accepted the invitation.

In addition to a few countries that have indicated interest, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally sought to join. BRICS members—especially China and Russia—have been looking at substitutes for the US dollar in recent years.

The next US president, Donald Trump, stated in December that BRICS nations should "go find another sucker" if they are unable to pledge that they will neither issue their own currency nor support any alternative "to replace the mighty US Dollar."

The president-elect suggested the nine-member BRICS not to replace the US dollar and asked for their commitment. Trump issued a warning, saying that we need these countries to commit to not creating a new BRICS currency or supporting any other currency to replace the mighty U.S. dollar. If they do, they will be subject to 100% tariffs and will likely say adieu to exporting into the impressive U.S. economy.

The only large international organisation the US is not a member of is BRICS. As the BRICS organisation grows, its members are expected to advocate for reforms that better meet the interests and priorities of developing economies.