Indonesia and Russia Strengthen Strategic Industrial Cooperation at BRICS PartNIR

The Indonesian and Russian governments have strengthened strategic industrial cooperation in a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) 2026 in Xiamen, China. In a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita stated that the 76-year relationship between Indonesia and Russia continues to develop in line with increasing cooperation between the two nations across various sectors. Indonesia’s accession to BRICS also opens wider opportunities to strengthen national economic and industrial resilience through partnerships with member countries, including Russia. ‘The BRICS Forum on PartNIR is very important for us. We greatly appreciate the Russian Government’s support for Indonesia’s membership in BRICS and will be very interested to hear views regarding the future direction of industrial cooperation within the BRICS framework,’ said the Minister. The Minister stated that Indonesia’s membership in BRICS is a strategic step to expand economic and industrial collaboration with potential partner countries. The BRICS PartNIR Forum, held at the end of May, serves as a dialogue platform for member countries to strengthen cooperation in new industrial sectors, technological innovation, downstreaming, and the development of more resilient and inclusive global supply chains. In the bilateral meeting, Indonesia and Russia discussed various opportunities for mutually beneficial industrial cooperation, particularly in strategic sectors with significant potential for joint development. The bilateral meeting was represented by the Director General of Resilience, Territorialisation, and International Industrial Access (KPAII) of the Ministry of Industry, Tri Supondy, accompanied by the Acting Director of International Industrial Access, Binoni A. Napitupulu. Representing the Russian side was Counsellor from the Russian Trade Mission in China, Russian Federation, Andrei Gorobets. Tri emphasised that strengthening international communication and partnerships is an important step in opening market access, expanding national industrial networks, and creating industrial collaborations capable of adapting to global technological developments. ‘The synergy between Indonesia and Russia is also expected to open opportunities for concrete cooperation that provides added value for the industrial development of both countries,’ he said. From a trade perspective, economic relations between Indonesia and Russia show a positive trend. The value of bilateral non-oil and gas trade in the first quarter of 2026 reached approximately US$1 billion, an increase of 1.13 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, Indonesian exports to Russia in 2024 were recorded at US$3.3 billion, up 13.38 per cent year-on-year. Indonesia’s main export products to Russia include rubber products, coffee, cocoa and tea, footwear, electronic components, and chemical products. In addition to discussing bilateral cooperation, both countries also explored broader collaboration opportunities within the BRICS framework, particularly ahead of China’s chairmanship next year. Indonesia hopes this momentum can be utilised to enhance industrial cooperation and investment among BRICS member countries. On this occasion, Indonesia also invited Russia to encourage increased participation of Chinese business actors and investors at INNOPROM 2026, where Indonesia will be the partner country. Indonesia also welcomed the development of the Indonesia–Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA), which was signed in December 2025 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The agreement is expected to expand market access and increase the flow of trade and investment between Indonesia and Eurasian Economic Union member countries, including Russia. Furthermore, Indonesia confirmed its participation as Partner Country at the INNOPROM 2026 International Industrial Exhibition, to be held on 6–9 July 2026 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. This participation is considered a strategic step to strengthen the promotion of the national manufacturing industry in the Eurasian region while opening broader industrial cooperation and investment opportunities. Tri expressed optimism that the strengthening of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia through the BRICS PartNIR Forum 2026 would further solidify the two nations’ collaboration in building a modern, competitive, and globally oriented industry.