Indonesia Eyeing Russian Amphibious Vehicles And Helicopters

London (Antara Bali) - Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Wahid Supriyadi expressed Indonesian interest in Russian amphibious vehicles  and helicopters when he visited the city of Rostov-on-Don.

Rostov-on-Don, around 1,079 kilometers south of Moscow in the province of Rostov produces amphibious craft BE-200  and the world's largest helicopter MI-26.  
    
In his meeting with Rostov Governor Vasiliy Golubev, Wahid  said Indonesia  was interested in the amphibious craft  and helicopter MI-26 assembled in Rostov-on-Don, the Indonesian embassy in Moscow said on Tuesday.

The ambassador said the amphibious craft  BE-200 is effective in fighting forest fires  and for use in search and rescue. Indonesia faces big forest fires almost every year.

Helicopter MI-26 both the military and civilian versions  could carry 80 passengers  and 20 tons of cargoes  that it would be effective for the mobility of troops  or for civil transport in isolated areas in Indonesia, he said.

He said Indonesia also was interested in importing wheat grain, one of Rostov's main export commodities.

He said every year Indonesia needs around 7 million tons of wheat flour to feed its instant noodle industry.

He said starting this year Indonesia has imported wheat flour from Russia.

The ambassador took the occasion to invite Rostov investors to take part in infrastructure development in Indonesia saying a number of investors from other Russian regions already invested in Indonesian infrastructure projects.  
    
He also asked Rostov to import a number of Indonesian commodities such as crude palm oil, sea fish, tea, coffee , rubber , textiles  and tropical fruits.

Governor Vasily Golubev said he was also interested in promoting economic cooperation between Rostov and  Indonesia beside cooperation in educational, scientific , cultural  and tourism development.

Wahid invited the governor and Rostov business leaders to take part in a business meeting at the second Indonesian Festival in Moscow  in August next year.

Based on local statistic, trade between Rostov and Indonesia was valued at US$4.5 million in the first nine months of this year with  Indonesia's exports  valued at US$2.29 million . The trade value rose 5 percent from the same period in 2015.

During his stay in Rostov-on-Don, Wahid also met with the chairman of the Rostov chamber of commerce  and industry  Nikolai Prysyazhnyuk, discussing  the possibility of the Rostov chamber taking part in the  Trade Export Indonesian Export Trade Exhibition in  Jakarta in  2017.

He also met with leaders of three universities in Rostov  including deputy rector of Southern Federal University (YUFU), rector of  Don State Technical University (DGTU) and rector of  Rostov State Transportation University (RGUPS) to discuss possibility of educational cooperation .

There are tens of Indonesians students  in Rostov including six studying at YUFU, one at  DGTU,  and 19 studying railway technology at  RGUPS.

Earlier, Ambassador Wahid visited the historical city of Yekaterinburg in the province of Sverdlovsk, around 1,800 kilometers  east of Moscow . The last Russian emperor Tsar Nikolas II and family were eliminated  in the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. In 2003, an Orthodox church - Church on Blood in Honor of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land - was built at the location where the Tsar was murdered.

In the city of Yekaterinburg, the ambassador met with Governor of  Sverdlovsk, Aleksey Orlov, to discuss cooperation between the province and Indonesia in economy, trade, industry and tourism.

Wahid also invited Sverdlovsk officials and business leaders to take part in the second Indonesian Festival in Moscow next year.

Trade between Indonesia and Sverdlovsk, was valued at US$49 million in 2015.

There are 10 Indonesian student in the province studying at the Ural Federal University (URFU). (WDY)