Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025.

The warm and friendly meeting reaffirmed Indonesia’s interest in enhancing strategic cooperation with Russia across various sectors.

Economic and Trade Relations Bolstered by Free Trade Agreements

President Prabowo expressed appreciation for Russia’s support of Indonesia’s full membership in BRICS, highlighting significant progress in bilateral relations at both the head-of-state and senior official levels.

He said, “I follow the developments, many improvements in various fields. Our economy is improving, our economic relations. Cooperation in many fields is also very good. And our agreements within the Eurasian Free Trade are progressing very well. So thank you, President Putin. There has been much progress in this relationship”.

President Putin noted consistent growth in trade volume and collaboration in agriculture, space exploration, energy, and military-technical cooperation.

He emphasized Indonesia’s strategic role as a BRICS member in strengthening cooperation within the Global South.

Advancing Energy, Technology, and Agricultural Collaboration

The meeting marked progress toward finalizing the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA), which is expected to be signed this year.

Both presidents discussed cross-border payment systems using QRIS and Local Currency Transactions (LCT), enabling direct transactions without intermediaries, such as the UAE.

Indonesia showed strong interest in expanding energy cooperation, including Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development and aligning technical standards through a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

Russia proposed cooperation in pharmaceuticals, fertilizer supply, agricultural seeds, and meat products, while Indonesia sought to increase Crude Palm Oil (CPO) exports to Russia.

Enhancing Connectivity, Education, and People-to-People Exchanges

President Prabowo proposed increasing direct flights from Moscow to Denpasar beyond the existing three flights per week, noting the route’s strategic significance with a nonstop flight time of about 12 hours.

This aims to boost connectivity and Russian tourist visits to Indonesia.

In education, Indonesia committed to sending more students to Russian universities. Cooperation in sports, particularly badminton, and efforts to strengthen people-to-people contact were also discussed.

High-Level Delegation Demonstrates Indonesia’s Commitment at SPIEF 2025

The Indonesian delegation included Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Food Security, Defense, Technology, Energy, Communication, Agriculture, Investment, and the Cabinet Secretary.

President Prabowo’s participation in SPIEF 2025 reflects Indonesia’s commitment to deepening global strategic partnerships and contributing to a more balanced, inclusive global economic order.

PHOTO: KEMENKO PEREKONOMIAN

This article was created with AI assistance.