President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil warmly welcomed President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6. This marked Prabowo’s first participation in the BRICS forum as Indonesia’s head of state, now a full member. Lula acknowledged the historical significance of the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, which rejected the dominance of major powers. He emphasized that BRICS embodies the spirit of Bandung and upholds the principles of a multipolar international order.
The United Nations, established after World War II, symbolizes hope for humanity and the rejection of spheres of influence. Lula highlighted that most current BRICS members were original signatories of the UN Charter. Indonesia officially became a full member of BRICS on January 1, 2025. This year’s summit serves as a platform for leaders to address political, security, and economic challenges, as well as opportunities for cooperation in various fields like artificial intelligence governance, environmental protection, and global health.
Among the attendees were leaders from newly accepted member states such as Ethiopia, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, and Iran. Their presence alongside the founding members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—demonstrated the growing influence and diversity of the BRICS bloc. The summit sought to enhance multilateral cooperation and address pressing global issues to promote sustainable development and shared prosperity.
