President Prabowo Subianto’s Participation in the 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2026) in Vladivostok
From September 1 to 4, 2026, President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto paid a working visit to Vladivostok, Russia, to take part in the 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2026) as the chief guest of honor at the special invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This article examines President Subianto’s participation in the EEF-2026 on the Russian Far East as an instrument of Indonesia’s economic diplomacy toward Russia. It touches upon key characteristics of bilateral economic relations, offers a brief overview of the agenda of bilateral meetings held on the forum’s sidelines, analyzes specific initiatives put forward by the Indonesian government, and identifies the strategic implications for deepening the Russian-Indonesian strategic partnership.
President Prabowo drew a parallel between the maritime and aviation sectors, observing that “at sea, ships carry goods, while by air, airplanes carry friendship,” with the aim of spurring growth in tourism and people-to-people ties
Some Aspects of Contemporary Indonesian-Russian Relations
The relationship between Indonesia and Russia, established in February 1950, spans over seven decades and currently stands at the level of strategic partnership (as formalized by the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and Indonesia of June 19, 2025 — ed.). Indonesia views Russia as a key partner, a position reciprocated by President Putin, who at the EEF plenary session characterized Indonesia, in turn, as Russia’s most important partner in the Asia-Pacific region, a reliable partner within ASEAN, and a significant representative of the Global South and the Muslim world. Since President Subianto took office in October 2024, the two presidents have met face-to-face on five occasions (including his visit to the EEF-2026).
Bilateral economic achievements have shown considerable upward momentum. Two-way trade between Indonesia and Russia approached $5 billion in 2025, marking a 21.7% increase over 2024 and a 33.7% rise compared to 2023. President Putin also noted a 12% growth in trade turnover in 2025. These accomplishments are expected to lay a solid foundation for further strengthening economic cooperation between the two states.
Another telling sign that Russian-Indonesian relations are far from standing still came with the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Indonesia and the Eurasian Economic Union (Indonesia–EAEU) in St. Petersburg on December 21, 2025. Under the Agreement, import duties are to be eliminated or reduced on 11,882 product lines, accounting for over 90% of all traded goods, with implementation scheduled for 2027.
Thus, by the time of the 11th EEF in Vladivostok, Russian-Indonesian relations had already grown considerably deep on both the political track (with the strategic partnership status legally cemented just a year earlier, along with mutual recognition of the exceptional significance of these ties for both sides) and the economic front (steady trade growth observed over at least the past two years, along with deepened ties between Jakarta and the EAEU through the establishment of a free trade zone).
EEF-2026 as a Venue for Sustaining the Indonesian-Russian Dialogue
Held on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) in Vladivostok under the motto “The Far East – Development for the Benefit of People,” the 11th EEF brought together heads of government, business leaders, and economic stakeholders from Russia and a number of other countries, genuinely proving to be an excellent platform for forging both multilateral and bilateral contacts.
President Subianto arrived at the forum as the chief guest of honor at Putin’s special invitation, accompanied by an impressive delegation. The high-ranking officials in attendance included Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Minister Sugiono, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment Rosan Roeslani, and Minister of Higher Education Brian Yuliarto. Such a cross-sectoral delegation—spanning economic, energy, investment, and foreign policy portfolios—speaks volumes about the seriousness of the Indonesian president’s foreign policy ambitions.
The fact that President Subianto, in the same capacity as chief guest of honor and leading an equally formidable government delegation, had already taken part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2025 (SPIEF-2025)—and it was precisely on that occasion that he signed the Declaration on Strategic Partnership with President Putin—only reinforces the discernible trend and attests to the consistency of the Indonesian president’s intentions. As was emphasized by President Prabowo’s administration, “President Putin’s special invitation reflects the close ties between Indonesia and Russia, which continue to be strengthened through direct dialogue.”
Agenda of Indonesian-Russian Meetings and President Subianto’s Specific Initiatives at the EEF-2026
The most important initiatives put forward by the Indonesian side during the EEF meetings center on enhancing physical connectivity between Indonesia and Russia. This is particularly critical given the impending entry into force of the Indonesia–EAEU Free Trade Agreement in early 2027, which calls for a comprehensive set of preparatory measures to ensure that trade infrastructure is ready to provide for the launch of the free trade zone, designed to double bilateral trade volumes.
In this regard, President Subianto called for the establishment of a direct maritime shipping route between Vladivostok and several major Indonesian ports, with an eye toward ensuring predictable shipping schedules and reliable security guarantees. In a related vein, in order to handle the resulting uptick in traffic flows, plans are underway—pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Russia’s Maritime Board—to expand port capacity through shipyard modernization and the development of so-called “green” ports. President Prabowo proposes that the Pacific Ocean be viewed not as a barrier or an obstacle, but as a major transport artery directly linking Indonesia’s economy with Russian and broader Eurasian markets.
A similar direct link is being proposed in the aviation sector, connecting Indonesia’s tourism and business hubs—such as Jakarta or Denpasar—with Russia’s Far East (Vladivostok) and even the Moscow region. In this context, President Prabowo drew a parallel between the maritime and aviation sectors, observing that “at sea, ships carry goods, while by air, airplanes carry friendship,” with the aim of spurring growth in tourism and people-to-people ties.
The third pillar of connectivity, one might infer from the “water-air-land” triad envisaged by President Subianto, would be ground infrastructure—specifically, the railway systems of both countries. The Indonesian government is offering Russia a role in railway technology development projects and in studying modern logistics to support connectivity between industrial zones and Indonesia’s strategic ports.
Beyond getting involved in physical connectivity projects, during the EEF plenary session, President Prabowo extended an invitation to Russian companies to invest in and develop 138 newly opened energy exploration blocks in Indonesia.
Furthermore, as envisioned by the Indonesian side, bilateral cooperation is also meant to extend into agriculture, as well as the extraction and processing of mineral resources and hydrocarbons. During the EEF, a memorandum of understanding was signed between an Indonesian fertilizer company and one of Russia’s largest business groups to jointly invest in a gas-based fertilizer production project in the Russian Far East. At the bilateral meeting with President Putin, investments by Pupuk Indonesia in a urea plant in Vladivostok were also on the table, while in the mining sector, Indonesia is cooperating with Rusal—a Russian aluminum producer planning a major market entry to set up an oil refinery jointly with local partners.
President Putin, for his part, offered to supply Indonesia with a state-of-the-art vessel over 102 meters long to support onboard fish processing. In response to this proposal, President Prabowo committed to dispatching a team of experts to study the vessel’s technologies and potential applications for Indonesia’s benefit.
Significance of the EEF and Economic Diplomacy in an Era of Global Fragmentation
In his address during the meeting with President Putin, President Prabowo laid out the contemporary global challenges that stand in the way of deepening economic ties—a goal both Russia and Indonesia are eager to pursue: trade is all too often wielded as a weapon, supply chains are being reconfigured amid mutual mistrust, and the financial sector is becoming geographically fragmented. President Subianto underscored the particular importance of international economic forums, specifically the EEF amid global fragmentation: “Every bridge built here—in food, energy, science, logistics, and trade—serves as a practical solution.”
To sum up the foregoing, the participation of President Prabowo Subianto in the EEF-2026 carries the following strategic significance for bilateral economic diplomacy between Indonesia and Russia:
First, the initiatives he put forward will strengthen physical connectivity through direct maritime and aviation routes, helping to bring down logistics costs and streamline trade flows, thereby supporting the implementation of the Indonesia–EAEU Free Trade Agreement.
Second, Russian investment in Indonesia’s energy and mining sectors, alongside Indonesian investment in Russia’s fertilizer sector, will create mutually beneficial economic interdependence and further deepen the strategic partnership.
Third, Indonesia’s presence as the chief guest of honor raises the country’s diplomatic profile in the Asia-Pacific region and bolsters its negotiating position both regionally and globally.
Fourth, the economic diplomacy pursued by President Prabowo at the EEF reflects a pragmatic and realistic approach to international relations, consistent with Indonesia’s economic philosophy grounded in realism, pragmatism, and the pursuit of the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
President Prabowo Subianto’s engagement in the EEF-2026 events in Vladivostok undoubtedly serves as an effective instrument of bilateral economic diplomacy. Through this forum, Indonesia not only solidifies economic ties with Russia through concrete initiatives in connectivity, energy, investment, and trade, but also consistently positions itself as Russia’s strategic partner in the Asia-Pacific region.
In an era of global economic fragmentation, the economic diplomacy carried out by President Prabowo at the EEF demonstrates Indonesia’s commitment to building bridges of cooperation, expanding market access, and fostering shared prosperity through mutually beneficial partnerships. The success of this diplomatic effort will hinge, to a significant degree, on the follow-through on the agreements reached and on both nations’ ability to translate personal trust into sustainable institutional trust.