Minister of Industry Says Cooperation between Indonesian and Russian Industries is Getting Stronger

JAKARTA - The Minister of Industry (Menperin) of the Republic of Indonesia Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that industrial cooperation between Indonesia and Russia continues to show rapid and increasingly strategic development.

The Minister of Industry said this when attending a bilateral meeting and opening the Indonesia-Russia Business Matching event organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) in Moscow, in early December 2025.

"Relations between the two countries have moved in a more substantive and comprehensive direction, especially with the meeting between President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, which strengthened bilateral coordination and opened up room for broader strategic cooperation," said Agus in a statement in Jakarta, Saturday.

So far, he continued, the development of economic cooperation between the two countries has been very positive. In 2024, total non-oil and gas bilateral trade reached 3.9 billion US dollars, with an increase 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 the Minister of Industry.

Furthermore, Agus stated that Indonesia and Russia are exploring the completion of two important documents on industrial cooperation. The documents include the "MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Shipbuilding" and the "MoU 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 the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia together with the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Anton Alikhanov in Moscow on 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.

Agus added that intensive dialogue to resolve various technical obstacles between Indonesian and Russian industry players is an important factor in the smooth flow of trade and investment relations. One of the main challenges is the cost of logistics due to the relatively long geographical distance.

Therefore, the Minister of Industry appreciates the holding of the 6th "Working Group on Trade, Investment and Industry" on March 11-12, 2025 as part of the joint Indonesian-Russian commission meeting held in April 2025 in Jakarta.

The forum has produced a number of technical agreements covering industry issues, strengthening the halal supply chain, trade, logistics, standardization, certification, agriculture, and the financial sector.

Indonesia also supports full support for accelerating the completion and signing of the "Indonesia Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement" (IEAEU FTA).

According to him, this agreement will 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 soon and become an important instrument to strengthen supply chain resilience and expand the penetration of national industrial products in the Eurasian region," said Agus.

In the context of multilateral cooperation, he added, Indonesia also expressed strong commitment to supporting programs under the auspices of BRICS. One of the important focuses is Indonesia's participation in the BRICS Centre for Industrial Competences (BCIC).

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