Russia’s Security Council Secretary Meets Indonesia’s President Prabowo to Bolster Ties

JAKARTA, investortrust.id - Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu meets Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, strengthening bilateral ties amid discussions on security and defense.

The high-level meeting, held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, marks a significant step in deepening cooperation between the two nations, as Russia pivots toward Asia following Western sanctions. For Indonesia, a key Southeast Asian power, the talks signal an intent to expand strategic partnerships with global players.

The meeting took place at midday, with Deputy for Press and Media Protocol at the Presidential Secretariat, M Yusuf Permana, confirming the details beforehand.

“This afternoon at the Merdeka Palace, President Prabowo received His Excellency Mr. Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council Secretary, around 12:30 p.m. local time,” Yusuf said in a text message earlier that day. Following the encounter, aides to President Prabowo Subianto hailed it as a productive exchange focused on mutual interests.

Shoigu’s visit to Jakarta formed part of a broader working trip to Indonesia and Malaysia, which began on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, and was set to conclude on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Russia’s state news agency RIA, cited by Reuters, reported that the Kremlin aimed to address pressing security and defense matters during the tour.

 Shoigu, a seasoned Moscow insider who assumed his current role on May 13, 2024, after a decade as Russia’s defense minister, led discussions that also explored wider bilateral opportunities.

The agenda covered critical topics, including regional security and potential collaboration in areas of shared concern. Indonesian officials viewed the talks as a chance to reinforce Jakarta’s foreign policy of active engagement with major powers. 

Shoigu’s delegation arrived amid Russia’s ongoing efforts to counter Western isolation, a shift accelerated by sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin has since prioritized alliances in Asia, with Indonesia emerging as a strategic partner.

Prior to the meeting, Shoigu’s itinerary drew international attention. The Russian Security Council’s press office had flagged the visit as a platform to advance Moscow’s regional diplomacy. For Indonesia, led by President Prabowo Subianto—a former general sworn in as president in October 2024—the engagement underscored a pragmatic approach to global relations, balancing economic and security priorities.

Shoigu’s political stature added weight to the talks. Before his current post, he served as Russia’s defense minister from 2012 to 2024 and briefly as governor of Moscow Oblast in 2012, cementing his influence within Putin’s administration.

His visit followed President Prabowo’s launch of a major economic initiative, BPI Danantara, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, signaling Indonesia’s ambition to assert itself on the world stage. LAst year, Prabowo, then-still defence minister, met with President Vladimir Putin in Moskow. The visit, which occurred on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, underscored Jakarta’s efforts to strengthen ties with Moscow ahead of Prabowo’s transition to the presidency later that year.