Indonesia's Prabowo to Hold Talks with Putin This Week, Eyes 'Strategic Partnership'

POLITIC - MOSCOW. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg later this week and the two countries should explore a strategic partnership, the Asian nation's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Russia is due to hold its annual economic forum in St Petersburg this week where Putin traditionally gives a key-note speech and hosts a foreign leader.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a meeting in Moscow with Indonesia's foreign minister, Sugiono, who uses only one name, said that relations between Moscow and Jakarta were trustworthy, friendly and constructive.

"We welcome our close ties," Lavrov told Sugiono.

"There is chemistry between both of the leaders," Sugiono said of ties between Putin and Prabowo, and suggested they develop and deepen their ties "into a strategic partnership."

Indonesia and Russia, Sugiono said, would continue to work on developing trade, economic, security, investment, energy and tourism ties. Indonesia became a full member of the BRICS grouping earlier this year.

Indonesia last year dismissed a report in defence publication Janes that Russia has requested basing military aircraft in Papua, its easternmost province, after the issue caused concern in Australia.

Papua is about 1,200 km (750 miles) north of the Australian city of Darwin.