Indonesia and Russia officially signed an extradition agreement over the weekend in an effort to combat trans-national organized crimes following the increasing number of Russians visiting and investing in Indonesia. With this agreement, both countries have a legal basis to apply for extradition (a jurisdiction transfer) of criminals from each country.
Law and Human Rights Minister, Yasonna Laoly, and Russian Justice Minister, Konstantin Anatolyevich Chuychenko, called the occasion an “essential milestone” of Indonesia and Russia relations, as it will enhance cooperation and collaboration in law enforcement efforts. Indonesia and Russia have enjoyed a long-standing relationship since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1950. Since then, the two countries have been able to maintain a solid partnership in various fields including trade, investment and culture.
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According to a report in 2022, the bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia has reached USD 3.5 billion, an increase of 29.87% compared to the previous year. This makes Indonesia, one of Russia’s biggest partners in Asia. Both countries have also agreed to increase this number even further by USD 6.5 billion or a total of USD 10 billion by 2025. In order to follow this positive growth, both countries recognized the importance of strengthening efforts in combating transnational organized crime.
Yasonna said that Indonesia and Russia have been working closely together in recent years to combat trans national organized crimes, such as deporting and extraditing fugitives, despite without an official treaty. This extradition is also not the last effort on both countries to combat crimes. After signing the extradition treaty, Russia and Indonesia plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation and collaboration in cybersecurity and legal assistance for civil cases.
Source : CNNIndonesia, Asian News Network
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