President Prabowo Appreciates Russia’s Support for Indonesia’s BRICS Membership

President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday (06/19) attends a meeting with President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg. Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat.

President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday (06/19) attended a meeting with President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg.

The meeting was part of President Prabowo’s official visit to Russia and his participation as an honored guest at the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

In his opening remarks, President Prabowo expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Russia’s full support over Indonesia’s membership in BRICS. He also explained the reason for his absence from the recent BRICS Summit in Kazan.

“I’m also very grateful that Russia supported Indonesia in becoming a full BRICS member in such a short time. I actually wanted to attend the Kazan Summit in person. But at that time, I had just been inaugurated a day earlier and needed to appoint my cabinet,” President Prabowo explained.

The President also highlighted the rapidly growing intensity of Indonesia–Russia bilateral relations, both at the head-of-state level and among senior officials. He expressed appreciation for the progress made in economic cooperation and other strategic sectors.

“I have been following the developments — there has been a lot of progress in many areas. The economy is improving, our economic relations are growing. Cooperation in many fields is also going very well, and our agreements in the Eurasian Free Trade Area are progressing very well. I thank you, President Putin. Our relations have come a long way,” the President said.

In the meantime, President Putin welcomed the opportunity to have more discussions with President Prabowo. The discussion will cover bilateral cooperation between Russia and Indonesia in various areas, which have seen consistent growth.

“Russia–Indonesia relations are developing, and trade volume is increasing. We have many prospects in various sectors, including agriculture, space exploration, and energy. There’s cooperation in the military and technical fields as well. We have many opportunities for collaboration, and we still have room and capacity to grow,” President Putin said.

President Putin also emphasized Indonesia’s strategic role as a BRICS member and expressed hope for Indonesia’s contributions to the organization.

“Indonesia is now a full member of BRICS. I hope Indonesia will make a significant contribution to the organization,” President Putin remarked.

(BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RI/MUR)