Analyst: Prabowo-Putin Meeting Strengthens Strategic Cooperation

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Political analyst and Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Review (IPR), Iwan Setiawan, stated that the meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin strengthens strategic cooperation in the energy and military sectors. According to Iwan, the discussions between the two heads of state are expected to lead to concrete agreements, especially since Indonesia has become a member of BRICS since 2025. “Indonesia’s membership is appreciated by Putin and opens up opportunities for further cooperation, such as in the energy and military sectors. The hope is that these discussions will lead to concrete agreements between the two countries,” he said when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday. He conveyed that cooperation in the energy sector is very important for both countries in the uncertain global situation amid the Middle East conflict. In addition, he hopes that the meeting can contribute positively to cooling the still-heating conflict in the Middle East. “Especially after the lack of agreement in the negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad (Pakistan) yesterday,” he said. In the geopolitical map, he added, Russia has significant influence over Iran and the United States (US), and Indonesia also has relatively close relations with those two countries. “If a peace mission is led by President Prabowo by inviting Putin and other heads of state, I think there will be a path to peace in the future,” he stated. The war between Iran versus the US-Israel, he said, has a major impact on the world economy, including Indonesia, due to the surge in energy prices. Therefore, the diplomacy undertaken and any efforts to end the conflict are very important. “Indonesia’s position, which adheres to a free and active foreign policy, can be maximised to carry out a peace mission,” said Iwan.