Joint team to follow up RI-Czech agreements<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Wednesday that Indonesia
\nand the Czech Republic would form a joint commission to follow up
\ntalks over cooperation between the military and in the
\nagriculture industry.<\/p>\n
The agreement to set up the joint commission followed
\nMegawati's meeting with Czech President Vaclav Havel.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed to improve communication between the two countries
\nby setting up a joint commission to follow up on the
\nunderstandings reached,\" Megawati was quoted by Antara in Prague,
\nCzech.<\/p>\n
She said the two countries would promote cooperation in the
\npurchase and supply of military equipment.<\/p>\n
She gave no details on the type of equipment. But earlier,
\nDirector General of Defense Strategy at the Defense Ministry,
\nMaj. Gen. Sudrajat said the military cooperation might involve
\nthe production of electronic equipment, explosives, aircraft,
\nfirearms and small- and medium-caliber ammunition.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is also eying military equipment from Slovakia,
\nwhich until the early nineties was part of the Czechoslovakia
\nRepublic.<\/p>\n
Due to a U.S. military embargo, Indonesia is looking for
\nalternatives in the European arms industry.<\/p>\n
Some of Indonesia's U.S. military products, such as the
\nsophisticated yet costly F-16 fighter jets, are now idle due to
\nthe absence of spare parts.<\/p>\n
A tight military budget also forces Indonesia to look to
\nEastern Europe where former communist countries own cheaper but
\nadvanced weaponry.<\/p>\n
In the agri-industrial field, Megawati said Indonesia's Agency
\nfor the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the
\nCzech company Skoda were exploring cooperation to improve the
\nproduction capacity of Indonesian sugar mills.<\/p>\n
The local sugar industry has been hit by an influx of imported
\nsugar, hurting producers with low prices. The government believes
\nsugar mills operate inefficiently.<\/p>\n
Megawati left Czech for Slovakia on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Slovakia is the last stop in Megawati's 14-day Europe tour
\ncovering also Italy, Britain and Austria. She is scheduled to
\nreturn on Saturday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/joint-team-to-follow-up-ri-czech-agreements-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}