Latest news with #BRICS
Kuwait Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Prabowo hails ties with Russia after talks with Putin
SAINT PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on June 19, 2025. - AFP 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 favor 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 neighbor 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
NHK
2 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
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.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
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
The Star
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Tariff talks on track, says Anwar
United front: Anwar delivering opening remarks during the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable at the Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: With less than a month before the unilateral tariffs kick in, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has described Malaysia's latest round of talks with the United States as 'going very well'. The Prime Minister said this was the message conveyed by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. 'This morning, I received a message from the minister that the meetings with the US Secretary of Commerce have been excellent. 'Our emphasis is on the need to secure what is fair for Malaysians and always represent the case for Asean. 'I have also urged my colleagues in Asean to do likewise, present bilateral positions and emphasise the need for Asean to remain as a cohesive force,' he said in his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Malaysia faces a 24% tariff on certain exports to the United States unless both sides can reach an agreement before the 90-day pause ends on July 8. The Prime Minister said the imposition of unilateral tariffs by the United States had posed a significant challenge to Malaysia, as over 60% of its semiconductor exports were meant for the US markets. 'You can imagine the government's concern to secure a fair resolution to this issue,' he said. Anwar said Malaysia remained consistent in its stance that international trade must be governed by transparent rules and predictability, not by unilateralism or coercive economic measures. 'Disruptions in trade and the supply chain will leave detrimental effects on businesses, hampering economic growth. 'Malaysia will continue to engage constructively with the United States, China, India and the European Union in advancing our national and regional interests. 'Let there be no doubt; Malaysia's strategy of active non-alignment is a deliberate and principled framework, designed to maximise strategic flexibility, preserve decision-making autonomy and engage all partners on our own terms,' he added. Anwar said over the past two years, Malaysia had reached out to like minded nations in the Global South to cooperate. 'It is in this spirit that we have revitalised our pursuit of greater inter-regional connectivity and cooperation,' he said. He said the latest move by BRICS to include members and partner countries from the Middle East, South-East Asia, Central Asia, Africa and South America is the essence of bridging regions. BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Rajnath to attend SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in China
In his first such visit since Operation Sindoor, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meet in Qingdao from June 25 to 27. Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif too will attend the meeting. The visit comes as India and China take steps to restore ties, including the resumption of trade and travel links as well as dialogue mechanisms. Also Read: Influencing interlocutors: On Operation Sindoor, India's delegations In addition, the Indian pilgrims bound for Kailash-Mansarovar – the first batch to undertake the trip since the 2020 military stand-off and Galwan killings – are also expected to reach their destination at the same time as Mr. Singh's visit to Qingdao. The steps are part of the 'normalisation' process agreed to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan in October 2024, after a tense four-year military stand-off on the Line of Actual Control. Both leaders are expected to attend the BRICS summit in Brazil from July 6 to 7, while Mr. Modi has been invited to the SCO Heads of State Summit in Tianjin, China, later this year. Sources said that in Qingdao, which hosts a significant Chinese naval base, Mr. Singh will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong and Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the conference. While Mr. Singh had met Admiral Dong during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Laos last November, this will be their first exchange since the four-day India-Pakistan conflict, where Chinese military hardware support to Pakistan was significant. Mr. Singh is expected to meet other Defence Ministers from the SCO states that also include Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, while sources said no meeting with the Pakistani Defence Minister is on the cards. SCO members are expected to discuss defence and security cooperation, along with the SCO's special Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS) mechanism, during the meeting. As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, Mr. Singh's participation at the SCO conference will also be watched closely for India's position. Last week, India disassociated itself from a statement issued by the SCO that had 'strongly condemned' Israel for its strikes on Iran on June 13, and said Israel's 'aggressive actions' on civilian targets and infrastructure were a 'gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter'. India said it had not been part of the discussion on the statement and issued its own separate statement.
