Negotiations took place in St. Petersburg between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in the country to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Following the meeting, the two sides signed a number of documents and held a joint press conference.

In particular, Putin and Subianto adopted a Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Russia and Indonesia. In addition, several interagency agreements were signed.

The Russian President emphasised that he considers Indonesia’s accession to BRICS to be the right decision. He added that Moscow actively supported Jakarta’s path to becoming a full member of the group.

President Putin expressed confidence that Indonesia’s full-fledged membership in BRICS will make a significant contribution to the development and functioning of the grouping, which continues to gain influence on the international stage.

He described Indonesia as one of Russia’s leading trade partners in Asia. According to the President, bilateral trade turnover between the two countries increased by 40 per cent in the first quarter of 2025.

The Russian head of state also stated that Russia is ready to join new oil and gas projects on the Indonesian continental shelf. Furthermore, Moscow is prepared to cooperate with Jakarta in high-tech sectors such as space, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence.

In turn, Subianto thanked President Putin for the warm welcome and expressed appreciation to the Russian side for its support in accelerating Indonesia’s full accession to BRICS.

“We attach great importance to strengthening cooperation with the Russian Federation across a wide range of sectors, particularly in trade and the economy, but also in other areas, including the conclusion of bilateral agreements. We are also paying close attention to advancing the Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union”

Prabowo Subianto President of Indonesia

He stressed that the two countries share similar views on many international issues.

In addition, the Indonesian leader expressed interest in increasing the number of Indonesian students studying in Russia on scholarship programmes. He also highlighted cooperation in the tourism sector, noting that Indonesia is ready to expand the number of direct flights with Russia.

The leaders of the two countries will speak at the SPIEF plenary session. The forum is taking place from 18 to 21 June.

Photo: Vladimir Putin and Prabowo Subianto during talks