Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa arrive for talks in Moscow October 15, 2010. ( GETTY IMAGES / REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov )
October 16, 2010 (KATAKAMI / THE JAKARTA POST) — Indonesia and Russia have agreed to use the momentum of the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties to take their cooperation to a higher level, an Indonesian embassy official in Moscow said.
The Embassy’s Counselor for Social and Cultural Affairs M. Aji Surya, said in a press statement made available to Antara in London that the agreement to step up bilateral cooperation was reached in a meeting between Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov in Moscow on Friday.
Aji Surya said the two foreign ministers agreed to focus on more substantial matters in taking their bilateral relations to a higher level.
He said the two countries agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, natural disaster management and air transportation sector.
The meeting also specifically discussed the possibility of opening a direct Indonesia-Russia flight route to be served by Garuda Indonesia, he said.
“The agreement on the air transportation cooperation is expected to be signed during the 17th ASEAN summit in Hanoi next week,” Aji Surya said.
According to the Indonesian counselor, the foreign minister underscored the importance of implementing the relations in all segments, not only in the government-to-government segment but also in the business sector and in the relations of peoples of both nations.
In the meantime, according to Aji Surya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V Lavrov expressed his commitment to facilitating the opening of an Indonesian consulate general in Russia in an effort to boost both countries’ economic and trade ties.
