Arms talks to top Iliescu's agenda in RI visit

Arms talks to top Iliescu's agenda in RI visit

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Romanian President Ion Iliescu will begin a five-day state visit
to Indonesia on Sunday, with talks on arms sales set to top his
agenda.

Iliescu is slated to hold talks with Indonesian President
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday at the Merdeka Palace.

"The two Presidents are also due to witness the signing of a
number of memorandums of understanding (MOU)," the presidential
office statement issued on Friday said.

An official at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
MOUs on collaboration in the field of small and medium
businesses, and on exchange training for diplomatics were ready
for signing during Iliescu's visit.

"However, there may be more MOUs signed, such as on
collaboration in the science and technology fields, which would
include the weapons industry," the official told The Jakarta Post
on Friday.

Iliescu is repaying Megawati's visit to the Eastern European
country last year to seek other sources of arms after Indonesia's
traditional source, the United States, imposed an embargo in
1999.

During her visit, Megawati had the chance to take a closer
look at weapons manufacturers in Romania, which are principally
known as small arms and armored vehicle manufacturers.

Romania produces the M-77, TAB-72 and TAB-77 tanks, all
modified versions of tanks made by the former Soviet Union.

Romania has 12 weapons industries which produce various types
of military equipment, such as small arms, artillery and
ammunition.

Also during Iliescu's visit here, Romania will look into the
possibility of participating in the 100 megawatt power plant
project in Asam-asam in South Kalimantan.

Megawati has been very busy receiving state guests of late,
with President Iliescu the fourth head of state to visit
Indonesia this year so far.

Libyan President Moammar Khadafy and Polish President
Aleksander Kwasniewski are the next on the guest list.

Besides meeting Megawati, President Iliescu is slated to
receive a courtesy visit from Vice President Hamzah Haz and hold
a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

A meeting with the Romanian community in Jakarta is also
included in Iliescu's schedule.

Apart from Jakarta, the Romanian President will also visit
Yogyakarta and the resort island of Bali before leaving the
country on Thursday.