Australia’s 14th-largest trading partner and an important defence ally in the Indo-Pacific, Indonesia, has signed a strategic partnership with Russia, calling it a “key partner” in the region.
It comes after Indonesia became a full member of the Russian-inspired BRICS grouping in January this year.
Establishing BRICS as an alternative to the Western-dominated G7 had long been the ambition of the then-Russian Foreign Minister, Yevgeny Primakov, who in 2009 convened a meeting of the founding countries: Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Over the years, it has added more members: South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Following a meeting in St Petersburg on June 19 between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the two countries announced an even closer relationship, deepening military, security and trade ties….
Indonesia Signs Strategic Partnership Deal With Russia
