Expert: Indonesia needs to optimise BRICS for energy and food security
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Moch Faisal Karim, an International Relations academic at the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), stated that the Indonesian Government must optimise cooperation within the BRICS forum to strengthen national energy and food security.
He noted that both issues are critical because the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes remain impacted by the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, resulting in disruptions to global energy and food supply chains.
“How BRICS can provide a form of stability and accessibility regarding energy security is the first priority. The second is, of course, related to food issues,” said Moch Faisal Karim when contacted by ANTUBE in Jakarta on Thursday.
In addition to offering these short-term benefits, he stated that BRICS could provide long-term advantages by strengthening Indonesia’s image as a nation committed to implementing a free and active foreign policy. The cooperation forum could serve as a platform to demonstrate that the principle of multilateralism remains relevant amidst the increasing polarisation of global institutions.
Nevertheless, Faisal highlighted the importance of consolidating the vision, mission, principles, and policies among the BRICS members themselves, which include major nations such as China, India, and Russia.
He argued that the Indonesian Government must be able to encourage stronger consolidation within BRICS so that the organisation can provide added value beyond merely establishing bilateral cooperation between countries.
He noted that Indonesia already possesses trade and investment cooperation agreements with several members of the forum, including China, India, and Brazil. Therefore, BRICS must be able to produce forms of cooperation that cannot be achieved bilaterally, such as those related to dedollarisation.
Faisal expressed regret that the ambition of several member nations regarding the dedollarisation agenda is diminishing, particularly as US President Donald Trump increasingly opposes it.
“In fact, this is important if we can cooperate directly without using the dollar for trade and other purposes,” he added.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India, on 12-13 September 2026. This year, the international cooperation forum carries the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
Indonesia officially joined BRICS as a member on 6 January 2025.