Indonesia barters airplanes for Thai rice<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand and Indonesia yesterday signed a US$34
\nmillion deal to barter two Indonesian CN-235 airplanes for
\n110,000 tons of Thai rice.<\/p>\n
The deal was inked in a Memorandum of Understanding
\nsigned by Indonesian State Minister of Research and Technology
\nB.J. Habibie and Thailand's Minister of Agriculture and
\nCooperatives Suwit Khunkitti.<\/p>\n
Witnessing the ceremony at Merdeka Palace were Thai Prime
\nMinister Banharn Silpa-archa and Indonesia's President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The Thai prime minister is here for a two-day visit to
\nexchange views with Soeharto. This is Banharn's first visit here
\nsince becoming prime minister last July.<\/p>\n
After his meeting with Soeharto, Banharn left for a brief
\njunket to Yogyakarta to see the famous Buddhist Borobudur temple
\nand hold a prayer at the nearby Mendut temple before returning
\nhome to Bangkok.<\/p>\n
The two CN-235s are made by the Bandung-based IPTN, the state-
\nowned aircraft manufacturing company.<\/p>\n
Thailand purchased five Indonesian NC-212s in a similar deal
\nseveral years ago. The new planes are expected to join the
\nprevious batch which have been used by Thailand for seeding
\nclouds.<\/p>\n
Elaborating further on the rice imports, head of the State
\nLogistics Agency Beddu Amang said that about 50,000 tons of the
\nrice will be of the sticky rice variety, and 30,000 would be fine
\ngrain rain. The rest would be regular rice of high quality.<\/p>\n
The rice will probably be imported during the dry season since
\nit is the time Indonesia is likely to be short of rice.<\/p>\n
\"Since the imported rice has to be of the highest quality, it
\nwill not hurt local farmers,\" said Beddu as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
After the two heads of state had a tete-a-tete behind closed
\ndoors here yesterday, Indonesian Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono said Thailand also expressed interest in Indonesia's
\nNatuna gas field for its growing energy needs.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesian and Thai officials will study this possibility,\"
\nMoerdiono told journalists.<\/p>\n
The Natuna fields have potentially one of the world's largest
\nnatural gas reserves with an estimated 210 trillion cubic feet of
\ngas. In 1994 the state-owned oil company Pertamina signed a $42
\nbillion deal to develop the area with United States oil giant
\nExxon. Other countries that have expressed interest in purchasing
\nliquefied gas from Natuna are Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.<\/p>\n
Separately yesterday Thai officials said discussions over the
\npossibility of establishing a pipeline from Natuna to Thailand
\nhave been going on for the past four months.<\/p>\n
The official said negotiations are expected to continue for at
\nleast another year. (mds)<\/p>\n
Controversy -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Photo -- Page 10<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-barters-airplanes-for-thai-rice-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }