PNG to purchase arms from RI

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung said here Saturday that Papua New Guinea (PNG) is planning to purchase arms from Indonesia.

"Papua New Guinea considers the price of our military arms more affordable than those from Australia. So, they intend to buy from us," Feisal said, reported Antara.

Accompanied by National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo and 36 high-ranking military officers, Feisal stopped here on his way back to Jakarta from Merauke, Irian Jaya, after visiting PNG.

Apart from the arms purchase deal, ABRI and its PNG counterpart worked on plans for a military training program and joint exercise.

Both parties also discussed the problem of separatist groups in Irian Jaya. "We agreed that PNG would extradite the separatist rebels when they finished serving their sentences in PNG," Feisal said. (swe)