Indonesia leader touts growing Russia ties after talks with Putin

SAINT PETERSBURG: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday and hailed growing ties with Moscow in a burgeoning relationship that has caused concern among some of Jakarta's Western allies.
The former Indonesian general's decision to skip the G7 summit in Canada this week in favour of talks with Putin has raised fears of a tilt towards Moscow, analysts say, after the nations held their first joint naval drills last year.
"Today we have met and our relationship is getting stronger again," Prabowo said in a statement after talks in Saint Petersburg.
"My meeting with President Putin today was intense, warm and productive. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, trade, investment, agriculture, they all have experienced significant improvements."
Putin said Indonesia remained one of Russia's "key partners" in the Asia-Pacific region.
"Our relations are mutually beneficial and are steadily developing on the basis of long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual assistance," he said.
Prabowo thanked Putin for his support for Indonesia's entry into the 11-member BRICS bloc this year.
The Indonesian leader visited Putin in July as president-elect and has not visited Ukraine, as his predecessor Joko Widodo did.
Russia has praised Indonesia's balanced view of its military campaign in Ukraine and Prabowo alluded to the offensive on Thursday.
"We respect the sovereignty of each country, we want to solve all problems peacefully," he said.
Indonesia maintains a neutral foreign policy, walking the diplomatic tightrope between regional competitors Beijing and Washington.
However, Prabowo has sought to diversify Jakarta's alliances instead of relying solely on Western partners, causing anxiety that he could deviate from the traditional non-aligned foreign policy.
Closer ties with Moscow have sparked concern in Indonesia's neighbour Australia.
Speculation in April over a reported Russian request to use an Indonesian air base forced Canberra to seek clarification from its Southeast Asian security partner.
Prabowo will attend an economic forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday. — AFP

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