Putin receives Indonesian counterparts in the Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the elected Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Moscow for talks on enhancing bilateral relations. Despite Western sanctions against Russia, trade between the two countries has doubled, Putin said. There's hope for further growth with a nearly signed free trade agreement between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union led by Russia.
Prabowo welcomed the plans of state airline Aeroflot to introduce direct flights to the Russian-favorite holiday island of Bali. He also expressed interest in collaborating with Russian nuclear giant Rosatom. "We discussed both small modules and large reactors," he said.
The former general and Indonesian defense minister, and ex-son-in-law of former dictator Suharto, was elected in February and is set to take office in October. The designate met with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov to discuss military cooperation. They already have joint exercises and training. Belousov described Indonesia as one of Russia's most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia invited Indonesia to the next naval parade in St. Petersburg in July. Indonesia, in turn, expects Russian defense companies at a weapons exhibition in November. The incumbent President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, visited Putin in June 2022, a few months after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For Indonesia, Russia is a significant supplier of grain.
Prabowo acknowledged the significant increase in trade between Indonesia and Russia, with it doubling even under Western sanctions, stating, "This trend is indeed high and promising, particularly with the imminent implementation of the free trade agreement." Expressing his enthusiasm, Prabowo mentioned, "In our discussions with Rosatom, we considered the potential for high-capacity energy solutions, including the deployment of large reactors in Indonesia."
