Nothing New Under the Sun

It would be important to make sure that those new members are stronger economies that can make a tangible contribution to the bloc. Other factors that must be considered include the membership candidates’ relative political and economic independence from the existing centers of global power, their political orientation, the clout they wield at the international economic institutions, and their involvement in regional integration initiatives… For all the reasons outlined above, we believe that Indonesia appears to be the most promising candidate for BRICS membership in the medium term. The country pursues a balanced and thoughtful policy on key international security issues. It also commands a lot of respect in the Islamic world and the Nonaligned Movement. If Jakarta and BRICS were to coordinate their positions, it would help BRICS to promote its approaches more effectively in the international arena.