Indonesia-Russia Bilateral Meeting: Nuclear to Oil and Gas Cooperation

President Prabowo Subianto has held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the Konstantinovsky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday (6/19/2025). In the meeting, there were several collaborations that had been agreed upon between the two countries. Putin said that Indonesia is an important trading partner of Russia in the Southeast Asia region. This is evidenced by the total trade value of the two countries reaching US$ 4.3 billion in 2024 and increasing by 40% in the last 4 months in 2025.

In addition, Putin also revealed that the bilateral meeting was warm and opened up many opportunities for cooperation in various strategic sectors. Such as in the field of nuclear energy development.

“We also want to realize nuclear projects in the peaceful sector, including health, staff training,” said Putin.

He also revealed that the two countries are interested in increasing cooperation in the field of advanced technology, such as the use of outer space, smart cities, and artificial intelligence.  In the oil and gas sector, Putin also revealed that Russia is willing to increase the supply of oil and liquefied natural gas to the Indonesian market. In addition, Russia also agreed to help Indonesia increase oil and gas production.

“We are willing to participate in new projects on the Indonesian offshore and also modernize infrastructure to boost oil production from old fields,” Putin said.

On the same occasion, Prabowo said that the meeting was intense and productive, where there was an increase in cooperation in various economic fields. At that time, Prabowo also offered Russia to increase the number of direct flights to other cities in Indonesia. In addition, Prabowo also expressed his desire to increase the number of Indonesian students to Russia, through Indonesian government scholarships. He also expressed his appreciation for Russia’s support for Indonesia’s membership in the BRICS alliance and the free trade cooperation agreement.

“I also welcome the agreement between Indonesia and Russia in our role in the Eurasian Economic Union,” Prabowo said.

In the series of events, Prabowo and Putin also witnessed the exchange of a number of bilateral cooperation documents. The cooperation documents include: 1. Agreement between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education; 2. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Transportation of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Transportation Sector; 3. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Communication and Digital of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Digital Development, Communication, and Mass Media of the Russian Federation on cooperation in the field of digital development and mass media; 4. Memorandum of Understanding between the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (DANANTARA) and the Joint Stock Company “Management Company of Russian Direct Investment Fund”.

In addition, during the meeting, President Putin and President Prabowo also agreed to the “Declaration of Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Indonesia”. The exchange of cooperation documents reflects a new direction in the increasingly broad and multidimensional bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia, ranging from education and the digital economy, to investment, transportation, and strengthening connectivity between strategic institutions.

June 20, 2025, CNBC Indonesia

(https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20250620090352-4-642505/ini-hasil-pertemuan-prabowo-putin-kerja-sama-nuklir-hingga-migas)