September 3, 2026 | 01:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto apologized to President Vladimir Putin for not attending the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Kazan, Russia, in June 2026.
Prabowo conveyed his apology during a luncheon hosted by President Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, today. The Head of State initially congratulated the 35th Russia-ASEAN Summit. "I apologize deeply for not being able to attend the important event," Prabowo told Putin on Thursday, September 3, 2026, as broadcast live on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube account.
According to Prabowo, he was focusing on resolving domestic issues at the time. "There are domestic problems that I cannot leave behind," he said. He added, "But I am repaying my debt by being present in Vladivostok now."
This visit to Russia is Prabowo's fourth since assuming the presidency. Prabowo had previously met Putin in Russia in June and December 2025, and April 2026.
The last visit was on April 13, 2026. At that time, Prabowo and Putin held a bilateral meeting at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Two months after the Kremlin visit, Prabowo was scheduled to return to Russia to attend the Russia-ASEAN Summit held in Kazan on June 17, 2026. However, the visit was canceled.
At the time, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that Prabowo did not go to Russia because he was focusing on resolving domestic issues. However, Prasetyo did not specify the problem that required the President's attention. In June 2026, there were a series of protests in Jakarta and several other regions.
One major protest was titled "Towards Indonesia's Bankruptcy" on Friday, June 12, 2026. That day, more than a thousand students filled Jenderal Sudirman Street in Central Jakarta, heading to Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout.
The protest included several demands: an end to state budget waste; lower prices for staple foods and fuel; an end to the free nutritious meal program; development of the Red and White village cooperatives; and an end to militarism in civil domains.
Meanwhile, Prabowo's visit to Vladivostok, Russia, took place amid a series of disasters affecting various regions of Indonesia. One of them occurred on Saturday, August 15, 2026, when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) up to September 2, 2026, as many as 195,372 people were still displaced. The earthquake claimed the lives of 127 people. There were also massive forest fires. In various regions, BNPB recorded at least 73,310.89 hectares of land burned throughout August until September 2, 2026.
Read: Prabowo Arrives in Russia, Welcomed by Indonesian Students
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