Expand Industry Access, Minister of Industry Agus Wants the RI-Eurasia Trade Agreement to be Signed Immediately

JAKARTA - The Minister of Industry (Menperin), Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, encourages the acceleration of the completion and signing of the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA).

Agus assessed that the agreement would open wider market access for Indonesian industrial players through increased tariff competitiveness and reduction of non-tariff barriers.

"We hope that this agreement can be signed immediately and become an important instrument to strengthen supply chain resilience and expand the penetration of national industrial products in the Eurasian region," said Agus as quoted from a written statement, Saturday, December 13, 2025.

The completion of the agreement will be a new chapter in Indonesia's economic cooperation with the EAEU member countries, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

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Especially with Russia, Agus emphasized that industrial cooperation between Indonesia and the country continues to show rapid development. He said that the cooperation was substantive and comprehensive, especially after there was a meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said Indonesia and Russia were exploring the completion of two important documents on industrial cooperation, including a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Shipbuilding and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Scientific Research on the Safe Use of Chrysotile Asbestos.

One of the MoUs, namely the research on the safety of the use of chrysotile asbestos, was signed by Agus with the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Anton Alikhanov, in Moscow, December 8, 2025.

"We hope that other MoUs can be completed soon so that they provide clarity on the collaboration framework for the large industries and SMEs of both countries," he said.

According to the former Minister of Social Affairs, intensive dialogue to resolve various technical obstacles between Indonesian and Russian industry players is an important factor in the smooth running of trade and investment relations. One of the main challenges is the cost of logistics due to the relatively long geographical distance.

Based on the Ministry of Industry's records, throughout 2024, the total non-oil and gas bilateral trade with Russia reached 3.9 billion US dollars, with an increase trend of 18.69 percent since 2020. As of October 2025, the value of trade between the two countries has increased to 4.04 billion US dollars.

On the other hand, Russian investment in Indonesia has also recorded consistent movement. In 2024, total investment reached 262.7 million US dollars, while as of September 2025, Russian investment has reached 147.2 million US dollars.

"These figures show a high level of confidence from Russian industry players in the economic stability and potential for industrial development in Indonesia," said Agus.

In the context of multilateral cooperation, Agus ensured that Indonesia was committed to supporting programs under BRICS. One of the important focuses is Indonesia's participation in the BRICS Centre for Industrial Competences (BCIC).

The cooperation will focus on the development of various sectors, such as industrial digitization; new mobility technology; unmanned transportation; human resource development for industry; empowerment of small and medium industries (IKM); digital transformation; artificial intelligence; and bioindustry.

"We assess that BCIC is a strategic platform for technology transfer and acceleration of the modernization of the national industry towards an intelligent, green and inclusive industry," he added.

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