“We aim to send our students to Russian universities, especially in medical and engineering fields, and I plan to allocate a specific budget for this scholarship program,” Prabowo stated to Putin.

He also reminisced about the significant number of Indonesian students who studied in Russia during the 1960s. Additionally, Prabowo emphasized the potential for enhanced cooperation in defense, defense industries, and tourism, noting the strong existing ties between the two nations and his intention to further strengthen these relations.

During the meeting at the Kremlin’s Green Hall, Prabowo was accompanied only by his aide, Major Inf. Teddy Indra Wijaya, while President Putin was joined by high-ranking officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and Presidential Advisor on Foreign Affairs Yury Ushakov.

President Putin remarked on Prabowo’s longstanding friendship with Russia, acknowledging the strong relationship. “I know you have a good relationship with Russia,” Putin told Prabowo, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Baca Juga:
ASEAN’s Nuclear-Free Zone: Indonesia Leads Call for Global Disarmament Action

Prabowo expressed his gratitude for the warm reception at the Kremlin, despite the short notice. He noted that this was his fourth visit to Russia in four years and his first audience with President Putin at the Kremlin.

This meeting with Putin is part of Prabowo’s recent series of international visits, which included meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. (Uki Ruknuddin)