MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri arrived in Moscow for a four-day official visit on Sunday.
Moscow hopes his visit will help promote mutually advantageous partnership relations between the two countries. This will be underlined in a declaration on the principles of friendly and partnership relations between Russia and Indonesia in the 21st century, to be signed by the Russian and Indonesia presidents, the presidential press service told Interfax.
It said cooperation with Indonesia is an important aspect of Russia's policies in Asia and the Pacific. "Russia and Indonesia have been linked with bonds of cooperation for more than 50 years now. Relations between our countries are characterized by a high level of understanding, affinity and similarity of approaches to basic international and regional problems," the press service said.
While discussing bilateral relations, the parties are expected to put the main accent on their diversification and introduction of new forms of cooperation. Favorable conditions have been created for broadening cooperation in trade, scientific, technological and humanitarian sectors, and for developing military and other aspects of cooperation, the press service said.
The Russian-Indonesian Commission for Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, which held its second meeting in Indonesia in March 2003, is expected to play an important role in this work.
Another prominent issue in the talks is the struggle against international terrorism and ways of dealing with other global challenges. The parties are expected to discuss joint work to strengthen global peace and international and regional security; the United Nations' role, further efforts to strengthen multilateral regimes to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Iraq crisis and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Priority importance is expected to be attached to the situation in Asia and the Pacific, and Russia's further cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the ASEAN regional forum.
Cooperation in the working bodies and programs of the Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum will also be addressed.
Megawati Sukarnoputri is daughter of the founder and first president of independent Indonesia, Dr. Sukarno, with whom the most successful period of bilateral cooperation is linked.