Mega gives Garuda statue to St. Petersburg museum

Mega gives Garuda statue to St. Petersburg museum

Agencies, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri handed over a three-meter high
Garuda statue to the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum on Wednesday
symbolizing the warm bilateral relations between Indonesia and
Russia.

The 500-kilogram statue was made by Balinese artist I Made Ade
Astawa. St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum director Mikhail
Piotrovsky received the statue from Megawati.

Megawati, who arrived in Moscow for a five-day state visit
last Sunday, traveled to Russia's second largest city to witness
preparations for St. Petersburg's 300th anniversary celebrations.

Antara reported on Wednesday that Megawati was scheduled to
meet St. Petersburg leaders as Indonesia will take part in the
celebration.

Megawati is on a 10-day official visit to Romania, Russia and
Poland to strengthen bilateral ties. The President had also used
the opportunity to canvass military equipment Indonesia badly
needs in the face of an arms embargo by the United States since
1991.

On Tuesday evening, Indonesia signed an memorandum of
understanding on the purchase of four Sukhoi jet fighters and two
Mi-35 assault helicopters.

Megawati and Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a
declaration to enhance future military cooperation between the
two countries.

Megawati is slated to continue her trip to Poland on Thursday,
the last leg of her Eastern Europe tour. She is slated to stay in
Poland until Sunday.

In Poland, Megawati will also look into the possible purchase
of military hardware for the Indonesian Military (TNI), as there
is an offer to purchase a Poland-made tank Sukol.

Before returning to Indonesia, Megawati is slated to attend an
emergency Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit
to deal with the rapid spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) in Bangkok on April 29.