Will Prabowo’s Brics ambitions reshape Indonesia’s ties with Russia and China?

Indonesia’s new president is wasting no time pursuing a more active foreign policy to position his country as a leader of the Global South

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Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July. Photo: Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Published: 12:00pm, 2 Nov 2024

Just weeks into his presidency, Prabowo Subianto is already working to make Indonesia’s presence felt on the world stage.

Not only has his government expressed its desire to join Brics, but it’s also set to engage in the country’s first naval drills with Russia – all while the president himself plans a globe-spanning five-nation diplomatic tour.

Though rooted in Indonesia’s long-standing “bebas dan aktif” (independent and active) foreign policy tradition, analysts say the West will be closely watching Prabowo’s dealings with Russia and China, in particular.

Both are founding members of the Brics bloc, which Indonesia announced its intention to join on October 25, and both now have agreements to hold joint drills with the Southeast Asian nation – after August’s decision to restart joint military exercises with China, which were suspended in 2015 over maritime disputes.

The Indonesian Navy has heralded the coming bilateral exercise with Russia, from Monday to Friday off Surabaya, as a “milestone”. Three Russian corvettes, a tanker, a helicopter and a tugboat will be deployed for the drills, Moscow’s envoy Sergey Tolchenov confirmed last week.

Two Russian corvettes are seen arriving in Shanghai for a port call last year. Photo: CCTV

No rival power was being targeted by the drills, Tolchenov said last Monday, the aim is “just to increase the capabilities and potential of our two fleets”.