President Prabowo Subianto, who is on a State visit to Russia, expressed profound gratitude to the Russian government for facilitating Indonesia’s full membership in BRICS.

“I sincerely thank Russia for supporting Indonesia to become a full member of BRICS in such a short time,” President Prabowo said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

“I actually wanted to attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan. However, at that time I was only inaugurated the day earlier and needed to establish my Cabinet,” he added, explaining his absence from the summit.

The meeting with Putin was held as part of President Prabowo’s official visit to Russia and his participation as guest of honor in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025.

On the occasion, Prabowo also highlighted the growing intensity of Indonesia–Russia bilateral ties in recent months, both at the level of state leaders and senior officials, and acknowledged substantial progress in economic cooperation and other strategic areas.

“I have been following developments − there has been much progress across sectors. Our economic relations are improving, and our cooperation in many fields is going very well. Agreements under the Eurasian Free Trade Area are also progressing positively. So, thank you, President Putin. There has been a great deal of advancement in our relations,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Putin emphasized the consistent growth in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

“Russia–Indonesia relations are developing steadily. Trade volume is increasing. We see many areas of opportunity − in agriculture, space exploration, energy, and military-technical cooperation,” Putin said. “We still have much room and capacity to grow.”

He also recognized Indonesia’s strategic importance as a newly admitted full member of BRICS, voicing optimism about the country’s future contributions to the organization.

“Indonesia is now a full member of BRICS, and I hope Indonesia will make a significant contribution to the organization’s activities,” Putin concluded.