JakartaPost/AFP-Sept 14, 2026
President Prabowo Subianto has called on BRICS and Global South countries to strengthen unity amid heightened geopolitical tensions and growing rivalry among major powers, saying greater coordination would help developing nations shape a stronger multilateral order. Prabowo delivered his speech on Saturday during a session at BRICS’ 18th summit in New Delhi, hosted by this year’s chair India, as the 11-member bloc put greater representation for developing nations among major issues on this year’s agenda. “Together, we can build a stronger multilateral system that supports the needs and the interests of all nations, big and small, strong or weak,” Prabowo told fellow leaders at the session. The President argued that BRICS could harness the Global South’s collective economic strength to make developing nations more resilient, giving them a greater say in an international order still heavily shaped by major powers. “Imagine what BRICS can achieve if [its collective] strength is fully mobilized to help secure food and energy supplies,” Prabowo said. “Imagine if our markets, capital, resources, technology and knowledge are better connected, creating greater opportunities for the developing world.” Prabowo also quoted an old Indonesian saying, “bersatu kita teguh, terpecah kita runtuh” (united we stand strong, divided we fall), invoking the 1955 Bandung Conference that united Asian and African countries against imperialism and colonialism.) In a session on Sunday, he largely repeated a similar message of building stronger and fairer economies. His speech marked Prabowo’s second BRICS summit since Indonesia formally joined the grouping in January 2025, becoming the newest member of the expanded bloc, which originally started with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Read also: Indonesia sees full BRICS membership as ‘valuable’ for Global South cooperation While this year’s summit was billed as a platform to reform global governance, the bloc entered New Delhi bruised by divisions exposed at its foreign ministers’ meeting in May. The meeting in May failed to produce a joint statement after members were split over the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on Feb. 28, with Tehran pushing for collective condemnation of the campaign amid a separate dispute with fellow BRICS member, the United Arab Emirates. The conflict has since disrupted energy supplies and international trade, particularly through the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with uncertainty over the vital shipping route continuing to this day. Read more at:
