Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) initiated the Russia-Indonesia Business Forum in collaboration with Roscongress International and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
The forum was held at the Raffles Jakarta Hotel, South Jakarta, on Monday (04/14). Business representatives from diverse sectors, including mining, engineering services, oil and gas, and education, explored potential partnerships through business matching sessions.
James T. Riady, Vice Chairman for Foreign Affairs at Kadin Indonesia, stated that this forum is part of the two countries’ long-standing and dynamic bilateral relationship. “We see Indonesia as a developing country offering many opportunities, and we would like to see more Russian businesses coming to Indonesia—not only in defense and energy sectors, but also in areas like health and education,” James said at the Russia-Indonesia Business Forum 2025 in South Jakarta (04/14).
Furthermore, James emphasized that the healthcare sector holds strong growth potential. He expressed appreciation for Russia’s support in establishing the Friendship Hospital as a tangible symbol of cooperation in this field. He added, “We have not been active enough in bringing Indonesian businesses to Russia and vice versa. We aim to encourage greater engagement between business actors from both countries.”
Aiming to achieve US$5bn trade volume
Didit Ratam, Chairman of Kadin Indonesia’s Russia- Belarus Bilateral Committee, stated that this forum was held in response to the growing momentum in the countries’ economic relations, particularly after Indonesia officially joined BRICS on January 5, 2025. “We need more business forums like this. Soon, Indonesian entrepreneurs will also send a large delegation to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2025. These relationships can’t be built solely on policy—they require direct interactions between businesspeople,” Didit explained.
He added that amid global economic uncertainty, Indonesia must tap into non-traditional markets, including Russia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Didit voiced, “The current trade volume between Indonesia and Russia is around US$4 billion. We aim to push it to US$5 billion and continue growing from there.”
The Russia-Indonesia Business Forum 2025 was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, General Director of the Russian Export Center Veronika Nikishina, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delo Group Sergey Shishkarev, and Pertamina’s Director of Risk Management Ahmad Siddik Badruddin.
