Jakarta, Jan. 31 -- Spokesperson for the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), Philips Vermonte, said on Friday that Indonesia's membership of BRICS does not mean the country is distancing itself from its Western allies.

Vermonte made the statement to address speculations about Indonesia's foreign policy direction after officially joining BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Currently, the economic grouping comprises 10 countries, including Indonesia.

"Joining BRICS does not mean we are abandoning our relationships with Western countries, such as the United States or the European Union," he clarified here on Friday.

He said that President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly emphasized that Indonesia will uphold "strat...