By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, June 16 (Bernama) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be making a state visit to Russia this week for talks with President Vladimir Putin, aimed at elevating bilateral relations between the two countries.
In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said Prabowo is scheduled to meet Putin in Moscow on June 19 and deliver a keynote speech the following day at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), one of Russia’s key economic gatherings.
“The state visit is highly strategic for strengthening the comprehensive partnership between Indonesia and Russia,” he said.
He added that the visit at Putin’s invitation comes amid heightened global tensions, and signals Indonesia’s intent to play a more active role in global diplomacy.
Prabowo is currently in Singapore for the annual Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat, where he is holding talks with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Last week, Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat confirmed Prabowo would not attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, citing a prior commitment to the Russia visit.
He said Prabowo had personally informed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of his absence and conveyed Jakarta’s support for the summit, calling for stronger G7 engagement with non-member states.
-- BERNAMA .
