ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin has expressed strong appreciation and support for the deepening cooperation between Indonesia and Russia across various sectors. He also emphasized Indonesia’s crucial strategic position in global affairs, especially following its full membership in BRICS.

“Indonesia, as an authoritative and highly influential country in the international arena, I am confident will augment BRICS’ potential and provide a substantial, additional contribution to BRICS’ activities and its working mechanisms,” President Putin stated during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, following their bilateral meeting at Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

During their meeting, both heads of state engaged in in-depth discussions on bilateral and international issues. The meeting also resulted in several key cooperation documents and the adoption of a joint declaration, further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.

President Putin highlighted that Indonesia has now become one of Russia’s primary trading partners in Southeast Asia. He noted a significant increase in the trade volume between the two countries.

“Last year, the trade volume between our two countries reached USD4.3 billion. For the first four months of this year, trade volume increased by 40 percent,” Putin explained.

In the energy sector, Russia expressed its readiness to boost supplies to Indonesia. Furthermore, cooperation in people-to-people relations continues to be strengthened through cultural and educational programs.

“Russian language education and training centers have been opened in Jakarta and Bali. We are also engaged in cooperation for human resource training. Currently, over 500 Indonesian citizens are pursuing education in Russia,” President Putin added.

This statement reflects high optimism for the future of the increasingly close and mutually beneficial Indonesia-Russia relationship, both bilaterally and within global forums such as BRICS.