He made this statement while attending a bilateral meeting and opening the Indonesia-Russia Business Matching event organized by his office in early December 2025.
“Relations between the two countries have moved in a more substantive and comprehensive direction, particularly with the meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which strengthened bilateral coordination and offered a wider strategic cooperation,” he said in a statement on Saturday (December 13).
Kartasasmita then outlined the economic cooperation achievement between the two countries, where in 2024, total non-oil and gas bilateral trade reached US$3.9 billion, an increase of 18.69 percent since 2020. By October 2025, trade between the two countries had increased to US$4.04 billion.
Russian investment in Indonesia has also shown consistent growth. In 2024, total investment reached US$262.7 million, while by September 2025, Russian investment had reached US$147.2 million.
“These figures show the high level of confidence from Russian industry players in the economic stability and potential for industrial development in Indonesia,” the minister remarked.
He added that the countries are exploring the finalization of two important industrial cooperation documents, namely the MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Shipbuilding and an MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Scientific Research on the Safe Use of Chrysotile Asbestos.
One of the MoUs, concerning research on the safety of chrysotile asbestos, had been signed by Minister Kartasasmita and the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, in Moscow on December 8, 2025.
“We hope the other MoU can be finalized soon to provide a clear framework for collaboration for large industries and SMEs in both countries,” he continued.
In addition, he emphasized that intensive dialogue to resolve various technical obstacles between industry players from both countries is a crucial factor in the trade and investment relations, including logistics costs due to the considerable geographical distance.
Therefore, the minister welcomed the holding of the 6th Working Group on Trade, Investment, and Industry on March 11-12, 2025, as part of the Indonesia-Russia joint commission meeting held in April 2025 in Jakarta.
The forum resulted in several technical agreements covering industrial issues, strengthening the halal supply chain, trade, logistics, standardization, certification, agriculture, and the financial sector.
Indonesia also fully supports the accelerated completion and signing of the Indonesia Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (IEAEU FTA). The agreement is expected to open broader market access for Indonesian industry players by increasing tariff competitiveness and reducing non-tariff barriers, Kartasasmita said.
“We hope this agreement can be signed soon and serve as an important instrument for strengthening supply chain resilience and expanding the penetration of national industrial products in the Eurasian region,” he noted.
In multilateral cooperation, Indonesia has also expressed its commitment to supporting programs under BRICS, particularly the BRICS Center for Industrial Competences (BCIC).
The collaboration focuses on the development of various sectors, including industrial digitalization, new mobility technologies, unmanned transportation, industrial human resource development, empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and the bioindustry.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar Fauzan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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