Indonesia has been and remains one of Russia's key partners in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Moscow and Jakarta closely cooperate in the United Nations, the Group of 20 (G20), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the East Asia Summits and the ASEAN Regional Forum on Security, as well as within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), where Russia is an observer.

For example, the two countries share similar positions on the Middle East crisis, including consistent efforts to ensure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and the situation in Lebanon and Syria. Both sides are looking for a fair solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state formula.

Russia appreciates Indonesia's balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis. At the same time, we count on Jakarta's constructive contribution to efforts of the "Group of Friends for a Peaceful Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis", which should also take into account the need to eradicate such roots of the crisis as NATO expansion, the West's violation of the principle of indivisibility of security, Kyiv's trampling on human rights and freedoms, especially those of national minorities and Russian-speaking Ukraine citizens, as well as a comprehensive implementation of UN Charter principles in their entirety, including the right to self-determination.

In 2018, Jakarta actively supported a positive decision to raise Russia's relations with ASEAN to the level of a strategic partnership. At the current stage, we are impressed by Indonesia's efforts to strengthen ASEAN-centrism and connectivity, turn the region into the epicenter of global economic growth, build balanced interaction with dialogue and sectoral partners and strengthen mutual trust and respect for international law. This is in line with ASEAN's cross-platform engagement with the Eurasian Economic Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the context of Russia's initiative to create a Greater Eurasian Partnership.

In principle, the core foundations of the foreign policy of Russia and Indonesia are very similar and aimed at promoting multilateralism, rejecting discriminatory neocolonial practices, unilateral sanctions and countering politicization of activities of specialized international platforms.

In the G20, Moscow and Jakarta, in particular, advocate for a balanced energy transition and the use of all types of fuel and technologies taking into account economic realities and national specifics.

Other fields of our cooperation in the G20 are reforming multilateral financial and credit institutions, eradicating hunger and poverty, accelerating the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals with an emphasis on climate and environmental components, creating disaster-resistant infrastructure, implementing applied programs in the field of culture, health care and the fight against corruption.

The accession of Indonesia to BRICS as a full member in January 2025 is a good example of effective cooperation in the multilateral dimension. This step significantly expands the horizons of cooperation between the two countries in the three main areas within the BRICS strategic partnership, politics and security, economy and finance, and cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

Today BRICS is the only worldwide interstate group outside Western control with global significance and influence. BRICS sees its strategic task in achieving an equal dialogue of sovereign states and civilizations for global development, as well as in finding ways to make the world economy, mutual trade and investment free from sanctions and restrictions.

It is very important that from the very beginning, the BRICS has developed the most attractive for developing countries truly democratic rules of interaction among its members, including their complete equality, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and respect for the rights of each nation to its own development model.

The BRICS countries do not impose their ideological dogmas on anyone and do not allow others to do this to themselves, do not export "color revolutions" and prevent the West from using them as an instrument of its dominance. The conditions for participation in BRICS are comfortable and contribute to the growth of its popularity and authority on the world stage.

Thus, the foundation is laid for a progressive integral economic and sociocultural system capable of ensuring the well-being of the population and instilling hope and confidence in future prosperity.

The BRICS members are confident that its unified approach to solving international problems can ensure a fair and rational nature of the changing world order. As South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said back in 2023, BRICS is a "partnership of equal countries that have different points of view but a common vision for creating a better world". The main thing for BRICS is to find answers to the challenges and threats of our time and to develop collective solutions to global problems and international development tasks.

Each new BRICS member contributes to increasing the value of the platform. Indonesia is one of them, a distinctive multinational multi-confessional state that pursues an "active and independent" foreign policy. I am convinced that its accession to BRICS is in the interests of Indonesia. After all, the goals of cooperation within the group are obvious, to ensure the creation of favorable conditions for the economic growth of its members, the solution of social problems, and the development of innovative human potential.

The rise of BRICS continues as the world majority increasingly sees in the group's development an opportunity to make the international order more equitable in contrast to the neocolonial rules imposed by the West. At the same time, BRICS is not going to act by methods of confrontation and coercion.

The tasks on BRICS's agenda, such as changing the global financial architecture, including dedollarization, creating an autonomous system of international settlements and possibly a new reserve currency, are driven not by a desire to challenge the West but by necessity, caused by the West's reckless and dangerous actions.

I am confident that from the first months of its membership, Indonesia will actively join the work, demonstrate a constructive focus on deepening practical cooperation and offer its very interesting initiatives. Russia and other BRICS members are ready to facilitate this.

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The writer is Russian ambassador to Indonesia.