Russia likely to offer weaponry to Indonesia

Russia likely to offer weaponry to Indonesia

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Russian delegation will arrive in Jakarta next month to draft
bilateral business agreements to be signed during the planned
visit of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to Moscow in April,
Russian Federation Ambassador to Indonesia Vladimir Y. Plotnikov
said Friday.

Plotnikov said the delegation was part of an Indonesia-Russian
commission to draft economic agreements. These could cover seven
or eight deals, he said.

Megawati's visit to Moscow would be the first by an Indonesian
president in 13 years.

"We want this (her visit) to work and we will spare no efforts
or time in ensuring that," Plotnikov told reporters at his home.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty M. Natalegawa
confirmed the delegation's planned visit but was unsure whether
it was slated for this or next month.

Asked whether the upcoming discussion would involve the
purchase of military hardware, Plotnikov said this was possible.

For three decades under President Soeharto, Indonesia relied
on American military hardware. Most of the Russian weapons were
acquired prior to the fall of the communist leaning government of
Sukarno in 1966.

Indonesia eyed Russian products again after U.S. Congress
began linking their military cooperation to human rights.

In 1997, the economic crisis forced Indonesia to drop a US$500
million deal to purchase 12 Sukhoi SU-30 jet fighters, and eight
MI-17-IV helicopters from Russia.

Under the deal, Russia would have received various Indonesian
export products of equal value. Signing the counter-purchase deal
in Moscow were then Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) and the
Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rosvoorouzhenie.

Talks of reviving the deal continued to make rounds with
Ambassador Plotnikov saying: "I heard there is still interest on
the Indonesian side."

Still the plan looks unlikely now given the government's tight
budget, although ambassador Plotnikov said that Russia was ready
to be "very flexible" on the payment side.

Currently officials have been only window-shopping for
military hardware in several East Europe countries last year.

During Megawati's trip to the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina, she was exploring the purchase of
arms from those countries.

One of the more possible agreements covered the construction
of railways in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, Plotnikov added.

He said the commission would also look at drafting an
agreement to encourage investment activities between the two
countries.

Plotnikov said the bilateral economic potential between Russia
and Indonesia were vast and yet scantly exploited.

"On the trade side we can do much more than we've done so
far," said the ambassador.

Foreign ministry spokesman Marty could not elaborate on the
details of the commission's work.

Outside the business agreements, Plotnikov said the two
countries would issue a joint political statement, the drafting
of which was pending developments on the international front.