Moscow – Indonesia and Russia on Monday agreed to expand cooperation in the field of aviation technology and electrical power, visiting Research and Technology Minister BJ Habibie said.

Habibie who has been here since a week ago and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuakov Urinson who is concurrently the minister for economic affairs signed a memorandum of understanding which underlies the mutually beneficial cooperation.

Habibie told ANTARA following a meeting with Urinson that the two countries would in the near future hold a seminar as a follow-up to the cooperation agreement.

The seminar which would involve the two countries' chambers of commerce and industry would discuss opportunities and challenges to enhance bilateral cooperation in all fields which have bright prospects, Habibie said.

Habibie said one of the bilateral cooperation which would have bright prospects was the joint development of rural electricity which uses a "photofoltaik" system and solar energy.

He said Indonesia had been planning to develop solar-powered electricity generators which would affect one million villages in the next five years.

Asked about the possibility of Indonesia buying Russian-made Sukhoi or MiG jet fighters, Habibie said Indonesia was taking into account technical aspects on the use of jet fighters offered by some European countries and the United States.

He said the Russian-made jet fighter had good technology but operational costs, spareparts and other aspects need to be taken into account.

He said nearly 60 percent of spareparts for the manufacture of the jets came from one company, while the rest was jointly produced with other companies.