Indonesia strengthens trade cooperation with Russia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti, has emphasised the country’s commitment to continuously strengthening strategic cooperation with Russia, particularly in the trade and economic sectors of both nations.
According to her, in a statement in Jakarta on Friday, trade relations between Indonesia and Russia continue to show a positive trend.
“We want to ensure that this momentum can be further strengthened through mutually beneficial trade increases and broader investment cooperation,” said Deputy Minister Roro during a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Ilyichev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, in Kazan, Russia.
The meeting, which took place on Tuesday (12/5) local time, aimed to strengthen trade relations and economic cooperation between Indonesia and Russia.
Deputy Minister Roro conveyed that the trade value between the two countries in 2025 reached $4.8 billion, an increase of 21.7 per cent compared to the previous year.
Russia also serves as Indonesia’s main partner in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) region, contributing 90.6 per cent to Indonesia’s total trade with that area.
According to the Deputy Minister, Indonesia and Russia have complementary trade relations.
Russia is a supplier of strategic commodities to Indonesia, such as coal, fertilisers, and steel products.
Meanwhile, Indonesia exports various flagship products such as palm oil, coffee, coconut products, and cocoa to the Russian market.
“Indonesia welcomes the increasing trust of the Russian market in various national flagship products. We are committed to maintaining the quality, competitiveness, and sustainability of Indonesian export products in the Russian market,” said Roro Esti.
On that occasion, the Deputy Minister also highlighted the progress of ratifying the Indonesia-EAEU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was signed in December 2025 in St Petersburg, Russia.
The Indonesian government is currently accelerating the domestic ratification process, targeting implementation of the agreement in the third or fourth quarter of 2026.
To optimise the implementation of that agreement, Indonesia proposes the establishment of the Indonesia-EAEU Business Council (IEBC) in collaboration with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
“The establishment of the Indonesia-EAEU Business Council is expected to act as a catalyst in strengthening relations between business actors, expanding investment opportunities, and encouraging increased trade between the two countries,” said Roro Esti.
In addition to goods trade, Indonesia is also opening opportunities for cooperation in the services trade sector.
Indonesia, she continued, has skilled human resources in the fields of information technology, construction, hospitality, and digital technology that can support Russia’s industrial needs.
On the same occasion, the Deputy Minister invited Russian business actors to participate in the Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2026, which will be held from 14 to 18 October 2026 in Banten.
“Trade Expo Indonesia serves as an important momentum to bring together business actors from both countries and open new cooperation opportunities in trade and investment,” said Roro Esti.
Deputy Minister Roro also reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto to continue promoting industrial downstreaming, increasing added value, and sustainable economic growth.