Putin Opens Opportunities For Nuclear Cooperation With Indonesia, Prabowo Encourages Strengthening Strategic Relations

President Prabowo Subianto (left) spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a state visit at the Konstantine Novsky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday (19/6/2025).

ST. PETERSBURG Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his country is open to collaborating with Indonesia in the field of nuclear energy for the sake of peace. This was conveyed in a press statement with the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto after a bilateral meeting between the two heads of state at the Konstantinovsky Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday 19 June.

"We are open to cooperation with Indonesian partners in the nuclear sector. We also want to realize peaceful nuclear projects, including in the health, agriculture, and professional training sectors," Putin said, as quoted by the ANTARA news agency.

Putin emphasized that Russia sees Indonesia as one of the main partners in the Asia Pacific region. According to him, bilateral relations between Russia and Indonesia have grown traditionally with the foundation of trust, mutual understanding, and friendship.

The Russian president also revealed that this bilateral meeting discussed a number of strategic sectors, including high technology. He said that Russia is interested in expanding partnerships with Indonesia in various fields of advanced technology such as space exploration for peaceful purposes, smart cities development, to artificial intelligence (AI).

The relationship between Russia and Indonesia has great potential in this challenging global era. We believe this collaboration will be closer in the future," Putin said.

Russia Is Indonesia's Important Partner

President Prabowo said the bilateral meeting took place in a warm, friendly, and productive atmosphere. He appreciated the remarks given by the Russian government during his inaugural state visit as President of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Today we discussed cooperation in various fields, ranging from economy, trade, investment, to technical cooperation. All have experienced a significant increase," said Prabowo.

President Prabowo also said that 2025 will be a historic moment because it marks 75 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Russia. He emphasized that Russia is an important strategic partner for Indonesia, not only in the political and economic fields, but also in the social and cultural aspects.

"Russian Federation has always been an important partner for Indonesia. We have been in good relations for 75 years and I am sure we will further strengthen this relationship in the future," Prabowo said.

Aviation And Education Cooperation

In order to encourage connectivity and cooperation between citizens, Prabowo also opens opportunities for cooperation in the tourism and education sectors. He proposed adding direct flight routes from various cities in Russia to major tourist destinations in Indonesia.

"We are very open to increasing the number of direct flights from Russia to Indonesia. This will not only increase tourism, but also strengthen inter-citizen relations," he said.

In addition, Prabowo encourages an increase in the number of Indonesian students who can pursue higher education in Russia through scholarship schemes from the local government. According to him, the exchange of education will strengthen long-term relations between nations.

I want more young Indonesians to study in Russia. This is a long-term investment in building understanding and trust between the two nations," he said.

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

The bilateral Prabowo-Putin meeting which took place on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is said to be an important step in deepening a comprehensive strategic partnership between Indonesia and Russia amid the growing global dynamics.

This visit also strengthened the signal that Indonesia, as a developing country with a large economy, continues to open up spaces for collaboration with various global powers outside the traditional bloc.

It is hoped that the results of this meeting will be followed up in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and real projects in various sectors in the near future, especially regarding peaceful nuclear energy technology, which is still relatively new in Indonesia.