President Prabowo Subianto has emphasised that Indonesia will not\nside with one group to oppose another, even amidst the deepening of\neconomic relations with Russia and the Eurasian region. He ensured that\nJakarta will continue to conduct a free and active foreign policy by\nopening cooperation to all major powers.<\/p>\n
This assertion was made by Prabowo while responding to questions\nregarding the balance of Indonesia\u2019s relations with Western partners and\nRussia during a dialogue session at the 11th Eastern Economic Forum\n(EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday (3\/9).<\/p>\n
The question arose after Prabowo previously encouraged the\nstrengthening of Indonesia-Russia trade relations, including the target\nof doubling trade and the implementation of the Indonesia-Eurasian\nEconomic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement. He also touched upon the\nimportance of a payment system that does not depend on a single global\nfinancial architecture.<\/p>\n
Prabowo stated that Indonesia\u2019s position in establishing relations\nwith various countries has been openly communicated for decades.\nIndonesia, he said, wishes to maintain the best relations with all\ncountries and major powers without having to enter into any specific\nalliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy tradition, we are a non-aligned nation. As I have said, we do not\njoin any military alliance. We respect all major powers,\u201d said\nPrabowo.<\/p>\n
According to Prabowo, this principle also applies to economic\nrelations. Indonesia wishes to remain independent while opening space\nfor cooperation with all nations. Therefore, any partner wishing to\nenter and invest in Indonesia will be treated based on the principle of\nfair trade.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that Indonesia\u2019s openness does not mean that Jakarta\nwill use its relationship with one country to oppose another. The\ngovernment, Prabowo said, wants to ensure that all partners receive\nequal treatment when negotiating and conducting economic activities in\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not cooperate with one group to oppose the interests of\nanother group. We will treat anyone who comes to Indonesia fairly,\u201d\nPrabowo stated.<\/p>\n
This stance serves as an answer to questions regarding how Indonesia\nmaintains the balance between its obligations to Western partners and\nefforts to deepen relations with Russia and Eurasia. Prabowo does not\nsee a need for conflict between these two directions of relations. For\nIndonesia, openness is a principle that allows Jakarta to establish\ncooperation with various parties without positioning one relationship as\na threat to another.<\/p>\n
He also asserted that Indonesia has no intention of threatening any\nnation. Indonesia\u2019s foreign and economic policies are directed towards\nbuilding mutually beneficial relationships with various partners.<\/p>\n
In the context of Russia, Prabowo mentioned that the relationship\nbetween the two nations has long historical roots. He recalled the\nsupport provided by the Soviet Union to Indonesia when the Republic was\nyoung and in a vulnerable state.<\/p>\n
According to Prabrym, this history is an inseparable part of the\ncurrent Indonesia-Russia relationship. He sees no reason for Indonesia\nto hide or set aside this history when building relations with Russia\ntoday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we are very open. We say that when we were weak, when we were a\nyoung republic, not many people truly thought of us. At that time, yes,\nthe Soviet Union helped Indonesia when we were very weak,\u201d said\nPrabowo.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that Indonesia will continue to respect all major\npowers and determine its own interests. The relationship with Russia is\nplaced within this framework, as part of the effort to expand\ncooperation without joining any specific political or military bloc.<\/p>\n
Russian President Vladimir Putin also highlighted Indonesia\u2019s\nposition in the global landscape. On the same occasion, Putin stated\nthat Indonesia\u2019s large population makes it impossible to ignore in the\nformulation of policies across various regions of the world.<\/p>\n
Putin initially compared Indonesia\u2019s position to highly populous\ncountries such as China and India. However, he later emphasised that\nIndonesia itself possesses significant weight with a population\napproaching 300 million people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to draw your attention to Indonesia. Indonesia is not only\nthe country with the largest Muslim population, but generally is one of\nthe largest countries in the world, with nearly 300 million people,\u201d\nsaid Putin.<\/p>\n
According to Putin, this demographic size makes Indonesia a nation\nthat must be taken into account by anyone conducting policy in any part\nof the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone conducting any policy in any part of the world will always be\ncompelled to take this into account,\u201d said Putin.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prabowo-asserts-indonesia-will-not-choose-sides-1788436411", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }