Indonesia's Prabowo meets Putin to deepen ties with Russia
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, showing his willingness to step up ties with Moscow.
The two leaders met on Thursday in St. Petersburg, where an international economic forum is underway.
Putin began the meeting by saying Russia's relations with Indonesia are developing steadily. He said there are good prospects in various areas of cooperation, including agriculture, space, energy and military technology.
In response, Prabowo thanked Russia for having helped Indonesia to become a full member of the BRICS group of emerging economies this year. He said relations continue to improve, adding that there have been many advances in various fields, and the economy is improving.
Prabowo had turned down an invitation to the Group of Seven summit because his trip to Russia had been previously scheduled. Observers say he apparently thought meeting with Putin would be more beneficial for his country.
Indonesia, with its non-aligned diplomatic policy, has not sided with Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Jakarta has shown interest in deepening cooperation with Russia in many areas. The two countries held their first joint naval drills last year.
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