WNAM REPORT: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto called on BRICS member states to unite and strengthen cooperation amid global uncertainty and challenges stemming partly from double standards applied to international law.
He delivered the remarks during the BRICS Leaders’ Virtual Meeting, which he joined from Jakarta on Monday evening (September 8), echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for stronger ties among BRICS nations.
“We must uphold openness, we must continue this close coordination and cooperation in this present world of uncertainty marked by double or even triple standards, where international law is constantly ignored,” Prabowo said, as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on Tuesday.
The Indonesian leader pointed to the world’s increasingly hostile climate, citing the abuse of force and authority by major powers against less powerful nations.
He argued that the current international system is shaping a world where “countries with less power are being intimidated, threatened, and bullied, and where trade and finance become weapons.”
Bearing that in mind, the president emphasized the need for BRICS to keep evolving and assured that Indonesia fully supports the group’s initiatives.
He also commended Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his leadership in BRICS, reaffirming, “Indonesia is committed to working closer with all BRICS countries.”
The virtual meeting, chaired by Lula, gathered BRICS leaders and senior officials including China’s Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeskhian, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
Also attending were South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Opening remarks were delivered by President Lula, followed by President Xi, President El Sisi, and President Prabowo.
