President Prabowo Highlights Importance of Building Bridges of Cooperation Amid Global Fragmentation

President Prabowo Subianto underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation and building bridges between nations amid an increasingly fragmented global landscape. The President made the statement in his address as the Principal Guest of Honor at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday (09/03).

“We meet at a difficult moment. Today, trade many times are used as a weapon. Supply chains are redrawn by suspicion. Finance is divided by geography. Precisely because the world is fragmenting, every bridge built here in food, energy, science, logistics, and trade is a practical answer,” he stated.

The President emphasized that global economic resilience requires financial systems capable of operating alongside one another. According to him, the world must not rely on a single financial architecture, including for international payment and settlement systems.

“This is not about replacing one system with another, but about ensuring that another global financial system can operate alongside existing arrangements to preserve continuity, stability, and confidence in international trade,” the President said.

On the occasion, the President also reaffirmed Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy. He noted that Indonesia does not wish to be bound by military alliances, but remains open and active in building economic partnerships with various countries.

“The Global South is not a new bloc. It is a constituency for fairness, for a fair share of prosperity, and a fair voice in writing global rules. Our position is clear and consistent. Indonesia stands ready to support every sincere effort towards a just and lasting peace, wherever conflict persists,” he expressed.

The President further emphasized that the longstanding friendship between Indonesia and Russia must be translated into cooperation that provides tangible benefits for the people of both nations.

“Friendship cannot live only in history. Our generation must have the courage to write a new chapter. Let us be equal, let us be independent, let us work together mutually for the benefit of both our countries, and let us be measured by what our efforts can deliver for our peoples,” the President stated.

Furthermore, the Head of State asserted that peace cannot be separated from development and prosperity. According to him, food security, job creation, open trade, and regional development are crucial parts of the effort to create sustainable peace.

“I understand that the Russian people have a saying, “Odin v pole ne voin”. There can be no victory if you fight alone. In Indonesia, we have the same saying. We say “Gotong Royong”, [which means] any heavy burden becomes light when we carry it together,” he continued.

Concluding his address, the President called for stronger Indonesia-Russia relations through concrete measures, including the opening of direct shipping and flight routes, optimizing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), increasing trade, and expanding production cooperation. The President also encouraged Danantara and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to jointly finance these strategic projects.

“Let us ensure that every agreement announced in Vladivostok produces a result that our people can see and can feel. Let it be said of this forum that in a season when some others were building walls, we built bridges. And let it be said of our generation and let it be said of our generation that in difficult times, we chose cooperation, development, for the benefit of our peoples,” he concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (YA/AW)