Mega to go ahead with Russia visit<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the international turmoil as a result of the war in Iraq,
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri is likely to go ahead with her
\nplan to visit Russia, Rumania and Poland next month.<\/p>\n
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Friday
\nthe planned visit had been arranged long before the Iraq crisis
\nemerged. Megawati, Hassan added, would use her meeting with
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin to discuss, among other topics,
\nthe Iraq war.<\/p>\n
Russia is one of the major countries that spearheaded the
\nopposition movement against the United States-led attack on Iraq.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, despite its good relations with Washington, shares
\na similar stance and continues to support efforts to end the war.<\/p>\n
There is no date set yet for the President's departure to
\nMoscow, but sources at the presidential palace said it would be
\neither on April 17 or April 21. She is slated to return home on
\nApril 27.<\/p>\n
It will be the first visit of an Indonesian president to
\nRussia in 13 years.<\/p>\n
Foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said in the weekly
\npress briefing that preparations for the visit were underway.<\/p>\n
"Nothing has changed, but the official date for the
\nPresident's departure will be announced by the office of the
\nPresident," Marty said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is also likely to discuss the possible purchase of
\nweaponry from Russia. Jakarta has been complaining about
\ninsufficient military equipment due to a military embargo imposed
\nby the U.S. since 1999.<\/p>\n
Earlier Russian Federation Ambassador to Indonesia Vladimir Y.
\nPlotnikov said both countries were expected to reach seven or
\neight economic deals, possibly including the purchase of military
\nhardware.<\/p>\n
Sources at the foreign ministry office said that there are
\naround 10 Memorandums of Understanding to be signed during
\nMegawati's visit to Moscow.<\/p>\n
"The one that is most certain is on the weaponry cooperation
\nwith Russia," the source said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had planned to buy 12 Sukhoi SU-30 jet fighters and
\neight MI-17-IV helicopters worth US$500 million in 1997, but the
\nplan was dropped due to the economy crisis.<\/p>\n
Since the U.S. imposed a military embargo on Indonesia in 1999
\nfollowing the East Timor mayhem, Jakarta has been exploring other
\nsources of military hardware, especially from eastern European
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
In her earlier trip to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and
\nCroatia last year, Megawati looked into the possibility of
\nbuilding cooperation in the arms industry.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-to-go-ahead-with-russia-visit-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}