Feb 25, Kathmandu- Russia's top security official Sergei Shoigu met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his defense minister on Tuesday while trying to strengthen defense ties between Moscow and Jakarta.

Jakarta, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, maintains a neutral foreign policy, refusing to take sides in the Ukraine conflict or the superpower rivalry between the United States and China.

Shoigu, Russia's former defense minister and current secretary of the Security Council, is considered a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin, who was instrumental in the decision to send Russian troops to Ukraine in 2022.

He paid a courtesy call on Defense Minister Jaffar Sjamsoeddin in the capital Jakarta on Tuesday morning, a statement from the Indonesian Defense Ministry said.

Prabowo then welcomed Shoigu to the Presidential Palace on Tuesday afternoon, the presidential palace said in a statement.

“This visit marks an important moment in strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia, especially in the field of security and defense,” the statement said.

Various strategic issues related to bilateral relations and regional security were discussed between them.

The President's office said that the visit opened the door to wide opportunities for cooperation in the future and both sides are committed to "strengthen their strategic partnership".

Prabowo, who recently took over as president in October 2024, has vowed to be bold on the world stage and visited Moscow in July for talks with Putin.

Indonesia and Russia held their first joint naval exercises last November.

Russia sent three corvette-class warships, a medium tanker, a military helicopter and a 'tug boat' to the exercise east of Java, the main island of Indonesia.

Jakarta has a multi-billion dollar trade relationship with Moscow, but major arms imports have been halted in recent years since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched an invasion of Ukraine.

Since becoming defense minister in 2019, Prabowo has maintained a $1.1 billion Russian fighter jet deal signed a year ago despite warnings of U.S. sanctions.