Indonesia, southeast Asia’s largest economy, has long maintained a neutral foreign policy. But President Prabowo Subianto appears keen to deepen defense and security ties with Russia.
Senior Russian security official Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday held talks with Indonesia’s president and defense minister as Moscow and Jakarta look to bolster defense and security ties.
Shoigu, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who formerly served as defense minister and now heads up its Security Council, met with Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin before more talks with President Prabowo Subianto.
“This visit marks an important moment in strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia, particularly in the fields of security and defense,” read a statement issued by Indonesia’s presidential palace.
“[Shoigu and Subianto] discussed various strategic issues related to bilateral relations and regional security,” opening up “broader opportunities for future cooperation” with both sides committed to “strengthening their strategic partnership.”
Why is Indonesia deepening ties with Russia?
Indonesia, southeast Asia’s most populous county and its largest economy, has long maintained a neutral foreign policy, refusing to take sides either in Russia’s war in Ukraine or in the geopolitical competition between the United States and China.
But recently inaugurated Subianto has pledged to be bolder on the world stage and visited Moscow in July for talks with Putin. In November, Indonesia and Russia held their first joint naval drills.
A spokesperson for Indonesia’s Defense Ministry told reporters that Moscow and Jakarta “share an ambition to further broaden and deepen our defense relationship.”
And a Kremlin statement issued ahead of the meetings said that the officials would also discuss “cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.”
Why is Russia interested in Indonesia?
Shoigu’s visit, the first stop on a five-day tour of Asia that will also include Malaysia, comes after Indonesia became a full member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies — of which Russia is a founding member.
Indonesia maintains billion-dollar trade ties with Russia, yet arms imports have stalled since Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its unofficial support of separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region since then, culminating in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Nevertheless, in spite of reported threats of US sanctions, President Subianto has kept alive a $1.1 billion Russian fighter jet deal agreed in 2018.
