Putin hosts Indonesia's Prabowo in Russia in bid to deepen ties
ST PETERSBURG: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held talks with President Vladimir Putin in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg on Thursday as they explore ways to deepen what some officials have called a burgeoning strategic partnership. The deepening of ties between Russia and Indonesia, part of Moscow's bid to forge new relations with the Global South amid Western attempts to isolate it over the Ukraine war, has perturbed some powers such as Australia.
Meeting in the Constantine Palace, Putin noted Indonesia's entry into BRICS as a full member and said he was sure it would make a significant contribution to the grouping, which he said was gaining clout in the world. Prabowo thanked Putin for his support over Indonesia's entry to BRICS and said that ties between the two countries were improving.
Russia and Indonesia's foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Sugiono, speaking in Moscow earlier this week, mentioned a possible strategic partnership between the two countries. Russia has proposed deepening military, security, trade and nuclear ties with Indonesia, which has the world's fourth largest population.
Prabowo previously visited Russia in August 2024, when he was defence minister and president-elect, and described Moscow as a "great friend", saying he hoped for stronger cooperation on defence, energy and education. Indonesia has said that it wants to build its first nuclear power plant by 2032, with 500 MW capacity, aiming for it to come online in the next decade. Authorities said interested developers included Russia's Rosatom, China CNNC and US small modular reactor producer NuScale.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, currently relies mostly on coal as a source of power despite boasting massive potential for renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar and geothermal. With expectations of high energy demand in the future, Indonesia is seeking to boost power generation capacity while capping its carbon emissions, eyeing nuclear power as the solution.
Prabowo has maintained Indonesia's non-aligned foreign policy, vowing to befriend any country, including Russia and the United States. He has said Indonesia will not be joining any military bloc. China is Indonesia's largest trading partner, but recently Prabowo's government announced a raft of concessions for trade with the US as it looks to neutralise the effect of tariffs. Russia has praised what it says is Indonesia's balanced position on the Ukraine war. Russia and Indonesia conducted their first joint naval exercises in the Java Sea last November. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
8 hours ago
- Observer
News agencies look at modern challenges
ST PETERSBURG: Oman News Agency (ONA) took part in the General Assembly meeting of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), held on Thursday in St Petersburg, Russia, under the theme 'News Agencies and the Challenges of the Modern World." The event, attended by over 40 government and private news agencies, coincided with the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a two-day event hosted under the auspices of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. In his opening address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasised the critical role of news agencies in delivering credible journalism and countering misinformation, particularly amid today's rapidly evolving global developments. Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, highlighted the importance of protecting journalists in conflict zones, especially in armed conflicts, given their vital role in reporting facts and exposing the humanitarian suffering of war victims. The OANA General Assembly addressed key topics, including the risks of disinformation and its impact on news credibility — particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence technologies — as well as the experiences of international agencies transitioning from traditional broadcasting to digital platforms in an era of accelerating media innovation. The meeting also included votes on the Executive Council composition for 2025–2028, the formation of the Technical and Ethical Committee for the same term, and the OANA Presidential Board for 2028–2031. Additionally, the assembly announced election results for the new OANA President and Secretary-General, presented awards, and approved reports from the Executive and Technical Councils, along with the appointment of vice-presidents. - ONA
Observer
11 hours ago
- Observer
Putin, Xi condemn Israel over its Iran strikes
ST PETERSBURG/BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel on Thursday over its strikes on Iran and agreed that de-escalation was needed, the Kremlin said after the two leaders spoke by telephone. Putin and Xi 'strongly condemn Israel's actions, which violate the UN Charter and other norms of international law,' Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. 'Both Moscow and Beijing fundamentally believe that there is no military solution to the current situation and issues related to Iran's nuclear programme. 'This solution must be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means,' said Ushakov. Xi said during the call that 'major countries' with 'special influence' in the region should step up diplomatic efforts to cool down the situation, according to a readout from China's official Xinhua news agency. 'The warring parties, especially Israel, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent a cycle of escalation and resolutely avoid the spillover of the war,' Xi said. He also urged efforts to protect civilians, calling on Israel and Iran to facilitate the evacuation of citizens from other countries. On Thursday, Putin reiterated that proposition in his phone call with Xi, a close ally. The Chinese leader expressed support for the idea, Ushakov said, 'as he believes it could serve to de-escalate the current acute situation.' The Chinese readout made no mention of such support from Xi. The two men agreed to keep in close contact in the coming days. — Reuters
Observer
11 hours ago
- Observer
Putin hosts Indonesia's Prabowo in Russia in bid to deepen ties
ST PETERSBURG: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held talks with President Vladimir Putin in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg on Thursday as they explore ways to deepen what some officials have called a burgeoning strategic partnership. The deepening of ties between Russia and Indonesia, part of Moscow's bid to forge new relations with the Global South amid Western attempts to isolate it over the Ukraine war, has perturbed some powers such as Australia. Meeting in the Constantine Palace, Putin noted Indonesia's entry into BRICS as a full member and said he was sure it would make a significant contribution to the grouping, which he said was gaining clout in the world. Prabowo thanked Putin for his support over Indonesia's entry to BRICS and said that ties between the two countries were improving. Russia and Indonesia's foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Sugiono, speaking in Moscow earlier this week, mentioned a possible strategic partnership between the two countries. Russia has proposed deepening military, security, trade and nuclear ties with Indonesia, which has the world's fourth largest population. Prabowo previously visited Russia in August 2024, when he was defence minister and president-elect, and described Moscow as a "great friend", saying he hoped for stronger cooperation on defence, energy and education. Indonesia has said that it wants to build its first nuclear power plant by 2032, with 500 MW capacity, aiming for it to come online in the next decade. Authorities said interested developers included Russia's Rosatom, China CNNC and US small modular reactor producer NuScale. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, currently relies mostly on coal as a source of power despite boasting massive potential for renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar and geothermal. With expectations of high energy demand in the future, Indonesia is seeking to boost power generation capacity while capping its carbon emissions, eyeing nuclear power as the solution. Prabowo has maintained Indonesia's non-aligned foreign policy, vowing to befriend any country, including Russia and the United States. He has said Indonesia will not be joining any military bloc. China is Indonesia's largest trading partner, but recently Prabowo's government announced a raft of concessions for trade with the US as it looks to neutralise the effect of tariffs. Russia has praised what it says is Indonesia's balanced position on the Ukraine war. Russia and Indonesia conducted their first joint naval exercises in the Java Sea last November. — Reuters
