Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his gratitude to Russia for its swift support of Indonesia’s full-fledged membership in BRICS. He made this statement during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Russian Federation for supporting Indonesia’s full membership in BRICS within such a short timeframe,” Prabowo said.
Russia held the BRICS chairmanship in 2024, with the group’s key event—the BRICS summit in Kazan—taking place from October 22–24. During the summit, the organization introduced a new category of “partner countries,” with Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan named among the first. Indonesia was initially listed as a partner country, but on January 6, Brazilian authorities announced Indonesia had become a full member of BRICS.
Prabowo also thanked Putin for hosting him in July 2024, when he was still president-elect, and explained his absence from the Kazan summit, which coincided with the start of his term in office. “Of course, I would have liked to attend the Kazan summit in person, but it took place just one day after my inauguration, and I needed to focus on forming my new cabinet,” he said.
Strengthening Bilateral Ties
Indonesia places great emphasis on developing cooperation with Russia across various sectors, including trade and the economy, as well as negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Prabowo emphasized.
“We are very focused on expanding cooperation with Russia in multiple areas, especially in trade and the economy, along with concluding bilateral agreements. We are also working actively toward finalizing a free trade agreement with the EAEU,” he said, noting that Indonesia-Russia relations are developing “very dynamically.”
He pointed out that Indonesia’s Foreign Minister has already visited Russia three times in the past eight months, and Prabowo himself has held two meetings this year with Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.
Manturov stated in April that the FTA between Indonesia and the EAEU could be signed by the end of the year. He added that the trade policy of US President Donald Trump could provide an “additional push” for finalizing the agreement.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS