Moscow – Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signed a friendship treaty yesterday, as Jakarta seeks to revive a Soviet-era relationship in the face of growing distance with Washington.
Simultaneously, their ministers penned agreements on weapons sales and cooperation in space intended to help the two countries restore one-time close political and economic ties.
"I am convinced that the Declaration on the Foundations of Friendship and Partnership Relations Between Russia and Indonesia in the 21st Century will give an important impulse to the two countries' cooperation," Mr Putin said.
"Our countries have a rich experience in mutually beneficial cooperation. The situation in Indonesia, including the state of the economy, has improved recently – that gives grounds for developing our relations in different areas," Mr Putin said. He also said he had accepted an invitation to visit Jakarta.
The two leaders signed the declaration after a one-on-one meeting and a larger meeting attended by numerous Cabinet officials and Indonesian business representatives looking for ways to boost the two countries' lagging trade ties. Trade turnover between the two huge nations came to just US$192 million last year.
Slapped with a US arms embargo 12 years ago and wide differences over the war in Iraq, Indonesia has been turning back to Russia, aiming to rebuild the close ties forged by Ms Megawati's father Sukarno in the 1950s.
Ms Megawati's five-day visit to Moscow – the first by an Indonesian leader since dictator Suharto visited in 1989 – is due to focus on major arms deals, including the purchase of Russian aircraft.
Indonesia has already signed a preliminary contract with Russia's state-owned Rosoboronexport for four Russian Sukhoi fighter planes – two SU-27s and two SU-30s – worth about US$120 million. But the final shopping list could be much longer.
The Indonesian military has expressed interest in buying more Russian-made Kalashnikov rifles, helicopters, armed personnel carriers and Mi-17 cargo jets – shipments of which were delivered to Indonesia in the past two years, leading business daily Kommersant said.