ISTANBUL

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting Jakarta’s accession to BRICS.

The two leaders held talks on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in northern Russia, according to a statement from the Kremlin.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Russian Federation for supporting Indonesia's full-fledged accession to BRICS in such a short time,” Prabowo said.

He emphasized Indonesia’s focus on deepening cooperation with Russia, particularly in trade, economic relations, and bilateral agreements. He also highlighted the importance of progressing toward a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

For his part, Putin hoped Indonesia will make a significant contribution to the development and work of BRICS, which he said is "gaining more and more weight in international affairs."

"Our relations with Indonesia are developing steadily, trade turnover is growing, we have good prospects for a number of priority and very interesting areas of cooperation. This includes agriculture, space, energy, and cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation," Putin said.

The visit marks Prabowo’s first official trip to Russia as president, following his recent visit to Singapore.

Earlier this year, Indonesia joined BRICS as a full member. A bloc long made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS also welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE as full members in January last year.