Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto flew to Russia late Tuesday night following his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s invitation.

The Indonesian leader is set to address Vladivostok’s annual Eastern Economic Forum as its chief guest. He will also hold talks with Putin on the forum’s sidelines. 

According to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, Jakarta will pursue more concrete and mutually beneficial economic and energy cooperation during the visit. He did not go into detail on whether the public should expect new business deals.

Teddy went on to say that Indonesia remains loyal to its “free and active” foreign policy, in which the country doesn’t align with any superpower as Russia continues to face Western isolation for the Ukraine war.

“President Prabowo builds good relations with all countries, expands friendships, and ensures that Indonesia’s diplomacy delivers concrete benefits for national interests and people’s prosperity,” Teddy said.

Prabowo traveled to Russia with some of his economic ministers, signaling the possible emphasis on commercial cooperation. This composition also makes the tariff-slashing trade agreement linked with the Moscow-backed Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) a likely talking point.

Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia is also part of the delegation, as Indonesia has been looking to diversify its crude sources. In July, Bahlil told the press that the Southeast Asian nation received the first batch of Russian crude imports, totaling around 770,000 barrels. Earlier, Prabowo’s brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo said that the contract would amount to 150 million barrels.

This marks Prabowo’s fourth Russian visit since assuming power in October 2024, with the last trip only taking place around five months ago. Russian ambassador Sergei Tolchenov recently said that the visit would not be a surprise, saying that “our leaders are meeting regularly".

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