http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/06-09-2007/96792-russia_indonesia-0
Russia signs billion-dollar defense deal with Indonesia
09/06/2007 03:19
Russia's defense industry may celebrate another landmark achievement.
Vladimir Putin is set to sign a $1billion deal with Indonesia to sell dozens of
helicopters, tanks and submarines to the Asian nation. Russia and Indonesia
strengthen their economic and defense ties to counterbalance USA's growing
influence in the world, specialists say.
Tor M1 missile defense system
Russia will provide Indonesia with a billion-dollar loan, which will be
repayable over the next 15 years. All necessary documents are to be signed
today during Putin's one-day visit to the most populous Muslim nation on the
globe. As a result, Indonesia will receive 15 helicopters, 20 tanks, and two
submarines, said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono.
"Part of this is to reduce our dependency on the United States," which
was formerly the country's largest supplier of weaponry, he said.
Putin's visit is the first by a Russian or Soviet leader to Indonesia in
nearly five decades. It comes amid chilling relations with the United States,
which has criticized Russia's democracy record. Moscow, in turn, distrusts
Washington's growing influence in global politics and has courted allies with
similar deals.
It held joint military exercises with China - the first ever on Russian
soil - several weeks ago and has negotiated agreements with Malaysia and other
countries across the region to buy fighter jets. Putin said he was especially
eager to strengthen ties with Indonesia, a sprawling nation with more than 200
million Muslims. A series of other energy deals worth billions of dollars also
will be clinched on Thursday.
"We are ready to enhance cooperation with all interested parties to
building an equitable world order, ensuring stability and security at both
global and regional levels," the Russian leader wrote in an opinion piece that
appeared Thursday in The Jakarta Post.
He stopped in Jakarta on his way to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
forum summit in Australia. Indonesia has been looking for other sources of arms
since Washington cut military ties in 1999 over human rights concerns. The ban
was lifted in 2005, but Jakarta continues to look elsewhere for affordable
military hardware.
It has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Russian fighter
jets. Russia also will sign agreements Thursday that will help Indonesia revamp
its aging mining and oil facilities, said government spokesman Dino Pati
Djalal.
Indonesian mining company Aneka Tambang will sign a US$3 billion deal
with Russian aluminum giant United Company Rusal, while state-owned oil company
Pertamina plans to sign a US$1 billion agreement with one of Russia's biggest
oil companies, Lukoil, he said.
Several memorandums of understanding also will be signed, including on
combatting terrorism and protecting the environment
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