Indonesian President Prabovo Subino signed a strategic partnership agreement with Russia on Thursday after a talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at St. Petersburg.
The agreement arrives when Indonesia enters the BRICS group as a full member, and on Thursday, Prabovo thanked Putin for his support on Indonesia’s BRICS bid.
Prabovo said in a statement, “Today we have met and our relationship is getting stronger again.”
The statement said, “My meeting with President Putin was intense, hot and productive today. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, business, investment, agriculture, they all have significant improvements.”
Putin called Indonesia one of the “prominent partners” of Russia in Asia Pacific.
“Our relationships are mutually beneficial and are constantly developing on the origin of the long -standing traditions of friendship and mutual assistance,” he said.
Another brick in the wall
BRICS Grouping was conceived as a counter for the western-laid platform like the G7, and provided Putin with an Avenue out of international diplomatic isolation on Ukraine’s full-scale invasion.
Deepening relations with Indonesia is seen as part of a dialect to partner with more global South country.
During the meeting on Thursday at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Putin said that he was convinced that Indonesia would make a significant contribution to BRICS Grouping, with other members of which included Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
Russia has proposed to deepen military, security, trade and nuclear relations with Indonesia.
During the meeting, sovereign wealth funds Danantara Indonesia and Russian Direct Investment Funds agreed to create $ 2.29 billion (€ 2 billion) investment funds.
Indonesia’s Non-Committee
The Chairman of Indonesia maintains a non-unacceptable foreign policy that vowes to share close ties with any country including Russia and the United States.
Prabovo’s government has already announced trade concessions from US President Donald Trump to reduce tariffs’ threat.
Hey, he insists that Indonesia does not want to join any military block, although it conducted a joint naval exercise with Russia in Java Sagar last November.
In 2023, it upgraded its relations with the US in a comprehensive strategic partnership. And Prabovo’s government has already announced trade concessions from US President Donald Trump to reduce the threat of Tafs.
Nevertheless, Jakarta’s close ties with Russia have created concern among the Western colleagues of Indonesia. Prabovo left the G7 Summit in Canada this week in favor of meeting Putin in Russia.
As the Indonesian Defense Minister and the Presidential-Election, his last visit to Russia was in August 2024.
At that time he described Russia as a “great friend”.
Edited by: ZAC Crellin
