Latest news with #Indonesia-Russia
The Star
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Prabowo skips G7 summit to meet Putin in Russia
JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto will fly to Russia next week to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and attend several economic events in the European country, snubbing an invitation to attend the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada. The President will go to Russia with a limited delegation at Putin's invitation, according to the Foreign Ministry, where the two leaders will engage in discussions on 'the latest global developments and issues of common concerns' to mark the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-Russia relations. In a week packed with international economic and political engagements, Prabowo is slated to fly out of Jakarta on Monday (June 16) and to visit Singapore first. He is expected to start his two-day visit in Russia on Wednesday, where he will produce a high-level declaration as well as at least three memorandums of understanding (MoU) following a tête-à-tête with Putin, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat said. Prabowo will also attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg during his visit. The trip will mark Prabowo's first official visit to Singapore and Russia since taking office last October. As his agenda in Russia kicks off on Wednesday, the President will not be attending the G7 Summit in Canada slated for Tuesday, to which he was invited by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week Rolliansyah did not disclose which invitation had arrived first when asked by reporters. But he reassured that Prabowo had been planning to visit Russia since last 2024, and had already made a promise to visit Singapore prior to Carney's G7 invite. Not attending the G7 meeting, Rolliansyah underlined, is a consequence of the President 'staying true to himself in fulfilling prior commitments'. 'We cannot see the President and the foreign minister's activities only through the lens of attendances or representations, but also in how these activities can benefit a larger national interest,' the ministry spokesperson said. The agreements to be signed with Russia will touch on cooperation on transportation, higher education and creative economy, although negotiations on other matters are still taking place. Prabowo previously met with Putin in Moscow in July last year during his European tour a few months after being declared president-elect by the country's poll body. At that time, Prabowo reaffirmed Russia's historical significance for Indonesia and pledged to strengthen the two countries' relationship once in office. During the July 2024 meeting, Putin also emphasised that Indonesia is of interest to Russia, given its large population. The Russian president also promised to increase Moscow's agricultural exports and to bring energy, transportation and infrastructure projects to Indonesia. Responding to Prabowo's Russian visit in July 2024, experts said the move was a signal against Western-oriented global leadership. The perception of Prabowo possibly having reservations against Western leadership further gained traction when he entered Indonesia into BRICS, the economic coalition founded by Russia and China with a strong counter-West reputation, less than six months after meeting Putin in Moscow. Indonesia is not a member of the West-leaning G7 grouping, but has attended several of its summits as a guest when former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo was in office. During the Jokowi administration, Indonesia attempted to maintain a balance in its relationship among competing global powers, including when it dismissed calls not to invite Russia to the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in Bali in 2022. As president, Prabowo has on various occasions emphasised his refusal to be led by any foreign power, frequently underlining the need for a fairer international system and a national interest-first approach to foreign policy. The focus on Indonesia's national interests is also expected to be at the forefront of Prabowo's visit to Singapore. His discussion with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, according to the Foreign Ministry, will revolve around future strategic engagements focusing on the economy. 'Strategic cooperation will be discussed,' Rolliansyah said, 'and it will be done in the format of a retreat, in which leaders are typically more open to express their views and give their insights.' Singapore has been Indonesia's largest source of foreign direct investment in the last decade. A total of US$20.1 billion was funnelled into the country last year, and US$4.6 billion was invested during the first quarter of 2025. Monday's meeting will mark the first official meeting between the leaders. But Prabowo has met Wong several times, including during the latter's state visit to Jakarta in November for an 'introductory' meeting. During the November meeting, both leaders reaffirmed the strong friendship between Indonesia and Singapore. Prabowo emphasised five priority areas for bilateral cooperation, including defence, food security and human capital development. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesia's President Prabowo receives call from Trump ahead of Russia visit
INDONESIA: President Prabowo Subianto received a 15-minute phone call from United States President Donald Trump (pic) on Thursday (June 12) evening, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and supporting global stability, just days before Prabowo is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As leaders of two major countries, President Prabowo and President Trump agreed to deepen cooperation between Indonesia and the US,' Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said in a statement on Friday (June 13). 'Both reiterated their support for efforts to maintain global peace and stability'. The call marked the second conversation between the two presidents since Trump's re-election in 2024. They last spoke in November, when Prabowo congratulated Trump on his victory. Thursday's call came ahead of Prabowo's state visit to Moscow, where he is scheduled to meet Putin on Wednesday. The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-Russia diplomatic relations and is expected to result in a joint declaration and at least three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat confirmed that the president would not attend the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Canada on Tuesday, citing a scheduling conflict. Prabowo is set to travel to Singapore on Monday before continuing on to Russia. Rolliansyah noted that the Moscow visit had been planned since 2024. Prabowo's diplomatic balancing act comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump recently described Putin as 'crazy' for intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, warning that such aggression could lead to Russia's downfall. Despite the geopolitical strain, Prabowo has maintained Jakarta's ties with Moscow, particularly in trade and defense procurement. He also held talks with Putin last year, ahead of his presidential inauguration in October. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Sydney Morning Herald
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Andrew Hastie is a rising Liberal star. Where is he in the election campaign?
Since he entered parliament a decade ago, Andrew Hastie has been spoken about as a potential future Liberal leader. The telegenic former Special Forces troop commander is one of the Coalition's most senior frontbenchers, an articulate communicator who should be an asset in an election campaign in which national security is playing a major role. Yet the 42-year-old has barely featured on the national stage in the campaign, even as the Coalition goes on the attack over a reported push by Russia to base long-range aircraft in Indonesia and accuses Labor of failing to spend enough on defence to keep the nation safe. Hastie has not conducted any national media interviews since the election campaign began on March 31, and has appeared only once alongside Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on the campaign trail. That was when they travelled to the Northern Territory to announce the Coalition would end Chinese firm Landbridge's long-term lease of the Port of Darwin. The only time he has made national news during the campaign was when comments he made in 2018 – saying he did not believe women should serve in close combat roles – resurfaced after the Liberal candidate for Whitlam was disendorsed after making similar remarks. Hastie's absence has been noticed by Anthony Albanese, who taunted Hastie about his absence from the campaign on Monday. Loading Albanese said the Coalition frontbench was made up of 'leftovers' from the Morrison government, and that 'anyone with a remotely moderate view has been chased out' of the Liberal Party. 'There is chaos on their side. They have senior shadow ministers who haven't been sighted,' the prime minister said at a press conference in Batemans Bay on Monday morning. 'I don't know where Andrew Hastie's been. He's the shadow defence minister.' Instead, opposition foreign affairs spokesman David Coleman and home affairs spokesman James Paterson have taken the lead on the Indonesia-Russia defence co-operation story.
