Indonesia Joins BRICS, Putin Reveals New Opportunities for Cooperation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Russian President Vladimir Putin has commended Indonesia’s decision to join BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in 2025.

According to him, Indonesia’s membership in BRICS will open new opportunities to develop strategic cooperation.

“Indonesia has already become a BRICS member. This opens new opportunities to develop cooperation,” Putin said after a bilateral meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Kremlin Palace on Monday (13/4/2026) local time, quoted from a statement by Indonesia’s Government Communication Agency (Bakom).

“We can discuss the Eurasian Economic Union,” he added.

He revealed that trade between Russia and Indonesia rose by 12 percent in 2025 and expressed hope for commitments to further increases.

“We hope that in today’s meeting, Your Excellency, we can find various solutions to continue enhancing the partnership between our two countries,” Putin stated.

Russia and Indonesia, Putin revealed, have discussed cooperation in energy, military, and education sectors.

“We discussed cooperation in the energy sector, in space, also in agriculture, in industrial production, and in pharmaceuticals,” Putin said.

“A while ago, we received a declaration on strategic partnership. I am very pleased that we are taking steps that give significant meaning and substance to the relations between our two countries,” Putin remarked.

Meanwhile, Prabowo also expressed gratitude to Russia for its support to Indonesia, enabling the country to join BRICS quickly.

In this meeting, Prabowo and Putin specifically discussed the current dynamic global geopolitical situation.

“Therefore, we feel it is very necessary to consult on how we face the future situation, especially if we can continue to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the economic and energy sectors,” Prabowo said.