Prabowo calls Indonesia Russia's gateway to Southeast Asia at Vladivostok forum

September 4, 2026 at 07:22 AM2 min

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto described his country as Russia's gateway to Southeast Asia at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3. He urged Russian businesses to invest in Indonesia and invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Jakarta. The two leaders met for the fifth time since Prabowo took office in late 2024.

Key Facts

Prabowo Subianto addressed the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok alongside Vladimir Putin on September 3, 2026.
Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia reached $4.8 billion in 2025, up 21.7 percent from the previous year.
Indonesia joined BRICS and signed a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union after Prabowo took office.
Indonesia and Russia upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership in December 2025.
Prabowo's visit to Vladivostok was his second trip to Russia in 2026 and his fifth meeting with Putin since taking office.

Forum Address

Prabowo Subianto spoke at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3, 2026, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. He urged Russian businesses to invest in Indonesia, saying the Pacific should become a 'highway between our two economies.' Prabowo described Indonesia as 'a natural entry point to ASEAN' for Eurasian businesses and called Moscow 'an important partner' for Jakarta. He apologized to Putin for skipping the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan in June, which was attended by leaders from 10 of ASEAN's 11 member states. Prabowo extended an invitation for Putin to visit Indonesia at some point in the future.

Bilateral Relations

Putin emphasized the importance of Russia's relationship with Asia and Indonesia, calling the Asia-Pacific 'a powerful centre of growth.' He told Prabowo that Russia regards Indonesia as 'one of Russia's trusted friends in ASEAN.' Prabowo was the forum's main guest of honor, a year after receiving the same privilege at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia reached $4.8 billion in 2025, up 21.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Indonesian statistics cited by the Straits Times. Since Prabowo took office, Indonesia has joined BRICS and signed a free trade agreement with the Russia-dominated Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.