Lubarto Sartoyo, President of the Alliance of Business Structures and Entrepreneurs of Southeast Asian Countries, stated that the expansion of BRICS creates new prospects for the countries of the region. He said this in an exclusive interview with TV BRICS on the eve of the group’s summit.

“It is encouraging to see that among the new BRICS partner countries, there are more and more states from Southeast Asia – Malaysia, Thailand, and now Vietnam have joined. This points to the strengthening of our regional grouping and its activity on the global stage,” he noted.

According to Sartoyo, with expansion come challenges – in particular, those related to differences in norms and standards between countries, which require alignment. However, overall, the strengthening of BRICS opens up opportunities, he emphasised.

The head of the alliance noted that the role of the Global South in the world will continue to grow, and this inspires the business community.

“As a B2B alliance of business structures, we are undoubtedly impressed and pleased, because it opens up new trade opportunities for our countries,” he said.

Sartoyo also highlighted that Indonesia’s accession to the grouping contributes to its economic growth.

“Because opportunities for trade with different countries of the group are opening up. Without doubt, these are the ambitious goals that Indonesia has set for itself – to be influential not only in its Southeast Asian region but also on the global stage,” the director added.

He recalled that the President of Indonesia spoke about this at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and thanked the Russian side for its support.

Photo: TV BRICS