Indonesia, Netherlands pledge to further ties

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa met here with visiting Netherlands Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, pledging to further promote bilateral relations between the two countries.

Speaking at a news conference with his counterpart Marty, Timmermans said both sides agreed to bring the bilateral relations to a higher level, as it deserves to be.

“Indonesia is increasingly a global player with global responsibilities, my ambition is for the Netherlands to be Indonesia’s gateway to Europe,” Timmermans said, adding that his country sees Indonesia as the country’s prime partner in Asia.

Marty said the two ministers had a fruitful and productive discussion on cooperation ranging from trade, investment, infrastructure development, water management, to agriculture and city planning.

However, bilateral ties between the two countries were believed to have been turned downward in recent years triggered by the abrupt postponement of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s state visit to the Netherlands in 2010 over a human rights trial in the host country which would lead to his arrest.

Last year, Dutch Media reported the majority of parties in the Netherlands parliament opposed the deal of selling 100 Leopard battle tanks to Indonesia because of Jakarta’s poor human rights record.

When asked about these issues’ repercussion in the development of bilateral relations, Marty said the tasks for the two ministers are to be able to observe, acknowledge and to be aware of these different dynamics within the two countries, yet at the same time able to see the broad picture.

“We recognize that our two countries have special ties in the past, we must move forward and make our relationship more contemporary,” Marty said, adding that the two countries should not be taken hostage by the past development.

The Netherlands, Indonesia’s colonial master for centuries until 1945, is Indonesia’s largest foreign direct investment source and one of the most important trade partners in Europe.

The Netherlands’ direct foreign investment in Indonesia totaled 966.5 million U.S. dollars last year, accounting for 38 percent of the total investment from Europe. The trade between the two countries reached 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first three quarters of 2012 amid weakening European economy.

Source: Xinhua

Indonesia to buy combat helicopters from the United States

Indonesia wants to buy a number of combat helicopters from the United States for the army , Defenses Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said .

“The choice is Apache combat helicopters to strengthen the army weapons system,” Purnomo said here on Friday (15/02).

He said the US government has approved the proposal to buy Apache helicopters but the defense ministry wants a larger number.

“If we could not buy enough units of Apache, then we want Black Hawk. We want more combat helicopters to build up our strength,” he said.

He did not say how many units of helicopters the ministry plans to buy.

“We are still calculating based on the budget set aside by the finance ministry and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas),” he said giving no figure for budget.

He said the final deal on the helicopters is expected to be signed this year.

Earlier army chief of staff Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said the additional units are to form a new squadron of helicopters for territorial security.

Parmono also has been quoted as saying the army would have Rp14 trillion (US$1.56 billion) to buy military hardware this year.

“That is the amount approved by the House of Representatives for the army to buy new weapons,” he said.

He said negotiations are in progress for the purchase of 20 units of Black Hawk helicopter.

He acknowledged that the army needs replacement of old weapons simultaneously and by phases.

Talks on the fund disbursement has been in the final phase between the defense ministry and the finance ministry, he said.

The types of equipment to be acquired will depend on the requirement also including Leopard tanks, cannons and rockets with a firing range of up to 100 kilometers.

The equipment would be distributed by phases to various regions which need modernization of weapons system, he said.

Former head of the defense Facility board Maj. Gen. Ediwan Prabowo said the government allocates US$400 million to buy combat helicopters.

“The fund would be enough to buy 8 units of Apache helicopters as the price per unit is around US$45 million or 20 units of Black Hawk,” Ediwan said.

Apache is superior in that it could destroy tanks, armored vehicles and bunkers, he said.

Black Hawk has less capability in destroying targets but it could carry troops, he added.

Source: ANTARA News

Indonesia, German firm sign agreement on tanks sale

Indonesia and German defence company Rheinmetall on Thursday signed an agreement that paves the way for the purchase by the Asian nation of 150 tanks from Germany.

“The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is related to transfer of technology and maintenance,” said Major General Ediwan Prabowo, head of the defence facilities agency at the Defence Ministry.

Prabowo said he hoped the contract for the purchase of 100 Leopard main battle tanks and 50 lighter Marder tanks would be signed this month.

Prabowo told that he hoped to sign both the MoU and the contract on Saturday, after a defence exhibition in Jakarta in which Rheinmetall was among the companies from 40 countries participating.

He said there were still some minor sticking points, mostly technical, and that there were no pending political or legal issues.

He also said Indonesia wanted the first batch to be delivered this year, but Rheinmetall had not given assurances about the timing.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has embarked on an ambitious drive to modernise its under-equipped military and build a defence industry.

Also on Thursday, the Defence Ministry signed a similar agreement with Brazilian defence company Avibras Industria Aeroespacial for the purchase of multiple launch rockets.

Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur