TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping Indonesia become a member of the BRICS group, a major association of developing countries that serves as a forum for economic, political, and security cooperation.
BRICS initially consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. However, its membership has expanded to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and most recently, Indonesia.
President Prabowo said Russia’s support for Indonesia’s accession to BRICS is a crucial step in strengthening Indonesia’s position on the global stage. He conveyed the remarks during a bilateral meeting at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Monday, April 13, 2026.
“The essence of my visit today is to express gratitude to President Putin, the Russian Government, for Russia’s support for Indonesia. Firstly, we were accepted so quickly into BRICS,” Prabowo said on Monday afternoon local time, as quoted from a live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.
For Prabowo, Russia has also supported Indonesia’s essential needs in various strategic areas. “In several very important matters for Indonesia, President Putin endorsed and supported Indonesia’s needs,” he said.
During the same occasion, President Putin welcomed Indonesia’s membership in BRICS, saying it opens new opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Indonesia has become a member of BRICS. This opens up new opportunities for our cooperation,” Putin said.
President Putin also noted that Indonesia and Russia consistently prioritize key sectors of cooperation. Both sides, he added, have frequently discussed opportunities to expand collaboration in strategic areas.
“Among other things, we have discussed cooperation in the energy sector, space, agriculture, industrial production, and pharmacy,” he said.
Furthermore, Putin highlighted the development of economic and trade ties between Indonesia and Russia. According to him, bilateral trade has increased by around 12 percent.
“At the beginning of this year, we witnessed a slight slowdown in bilateral trade, but we have various ways to increase it. We attach great importance to the joint intergovernmental commission,” Putin said.
Putin expressed hope that the meeting with Prabowo would serve as an opportunity to explore new solutions to further enhance cooperation between the two countries.
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