St. Petersburg. Coordinating Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, or popularly known as AHY, reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to serving as a strategic bridge that strengthens connectivity, cooperation, and sustainable growth between ASEAN and Eurasia as global uncertainty continues to rise.

Speaking at the EAEU-ASEAN session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026 in Russia on Thursday, AHY highlighted a range of global challenges, including economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, mounting pressures on energy, food, and water security, and increasing geopolitical fragmentation that threatens global stability and growth.

The forum brought together government leaders, business executives, academics, and stakeholders from various countries to discuss global economic opportunities and challenges.

AHY said such challenges cannot be addressed by individual countries acting alone and require stronger partnerships built on mutual respect and practical solutions.

"Indonesia seeks to serve as a bridge, a balancing force, and a constructive partner in strengthening international cooperation," AHY said.

He added that under President Prabowo Subianto's leadership, Indonesia remains committed to its independent and active foreign policy, emphasizing openness, inclusivity, and collaboration.

"We seek friendship with all nations. We believe in dialogue over confrontation and cooperation over competition," he said.

AHY stressed that infrastructure development in Indonesia goes beyond building roads, ports, airports, and transportation networks. Instead, infrastructure serves as a foundation for strengthening food, energy, and water security, expanding economic opportunities, and improving quality of life.

"For Indonesia, infrastructure development is not merely about building roads, ports, or transport networks. It is the foundation for strengthening food, energy, and water security, expanding opportunities, and improving people's quality of life," he said.

As the world's largest archipelagic nation and Southeast Asia's largest economy, Indonesia occupies a strategic position in enhancing both regional and global connectivity. Located along major international trade routes and serving as one of ASEAN's key economic drivers, Indonesia is well positioned to strengthen cooperation between Southeast Asia and Eurasia.

During the forum, AHY called for deeper and more concrete collaboration between ASEAN member states and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), particularly in sectors expected to play a critical role in the future.

These include low-carbon transportation, strategic connectivity projects, climate-resilient infrastructure, clean energy, technology-based logistics systems, and a sustainable maritime economy.

AHY noted that EAEU member countries possess strengths in energy, manufacturing, technology, logistics, and infrastructure engineering that could provide a strong foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation with Indonesia and other ASEAN countries.

He also emphasized that green infrastructure development remains one of Indonesia's key priorities in addressing future challenges. Efforts to transition toward cleaner transportation systems, expand renewable energy, and promote climate-adaptive development form part of the country's long-term strategy to enhance competitiveness while ensuring sustainable growth.

AHY outlined three main infrastructure priorities for Indonesia: decarbonizing the transportation sector to support the country's Net Zero Emissions target, strengthening strategic connectivity through the integration of ports and railway networks, and developing climate-resilient infrastructure, including the Giant Sea Wall project.

"These three priorities form a unified vision of a stronger, greener, and more future-ready Indonesia," AHY said.

Concluding his remarks, AHY stressed that greater cooperation and trust are essential to navigating increasingly complex global challenges.

"No country can tackle today's global challenges on its own. The world needs more collaboration, greater trust, and more shared solutions," he said.

He added that strong partnerships must be built not only through dialogue and commitments but also through concrete and sustained implementation.

"We must move from dialogue to action, from frameworks to tangible projects, and from goodwill to lasting partnerships. In the end, what we are building is not only stronger economies but also stronger trust among nations," AHY said.

SPIEF 2026 serves as an important platform for strengthening Indonesia's relations with Russia and Eurasian countries while opening broader opportunities for cooperation in infrastructure, transportation, energy, technology, the maritime economy, and sustainable development.