Turkmenistan president to visit Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP: Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov is slated to visit Indonesia next week. One Indonesian official sees it as an opportunity for Indonesia to open up a new market for its exports in the Central Asian country.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said that Niyazov's June 1- 3 visit at President Soeharto's invitation is intended chiefly to explore cooperation in economic, trade, culture and science and technology.

Moerdiono said there is an opportunity for Indonesian products to gain entry to the former Soviet republic through Iran.

Turkmenistan, which is now part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has a population of four million people, 90 percent of which are followers of Islam. Its chief exports include oil, natural gas, cotton and various seeds.

Moerdiono said Niyazov will be accompanied by several members of his cabinet, including a deputy prime minister, the foreign minister, trade minister and agriculture minister. (emb)