ST PETERSBURG, June 17 — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in Russia this week to explore ways to deepen what their foreign ministers cast on Tuesday as a burgeoning strategic partnership.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a meeting in Moscow with his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono, said Putin will meet Prabowo in St Petersburg on Thursday.
Russia is due to hold its annual economic forum this week in the northern city, at which Putin traditionally gives a keynote speech and hosts a foreign leader.
He added that Russia and Indonesia should seek to deepen their defence, security, naval and trade ties.
Lavrov said that Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom stands ready to help Indonesia build an atomic power station, and the two countries could hold joint military exercises.
"This is a show, actually, of how important and strategically Indonesia thinks of its relationship with Russia," Sugiono told the press in English.
He suggested that Putin and Prabowo had "chemistry" and suggested they develop and deepen their ties "into a strategic partnership."
Meanwhile, Lavrov said that trade between Russia and Indonesia amounts to nearly US$4.5 billion (RM19.1 billion) annually, emphasising the need to boost bilateral trade and investment. Indonesia became a full member of the BRICS grouping earlier this year.
Last year, Indonesia dismissed a report in the defence publication Jane's that Russia had asked to base military aircraft in Papua, its easternmost province, after the issue caused concern in Australia.
Papua is about 1,200 km north of the Australian city of Darwin.
— Reuters
