JAKARTA, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Indonesian officials said they expected to secure a $1 billion defense loan during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Jakarta, a report said Wednesday.
Putin’s trip at the invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to begin Thursday, the Jakarta Post reported.
Quoting sources, the Post said Russia was expected to approve the defense loan and also seek to sell its Metis antitank armaments to Indonesia.
The two leaders also were expected to significantly boost trade between their nations, which currently totals about $700 million.
Separately, Interfax news agency quoted Putin as urging Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, to join his country in finding peace among various faiths.
Quoting from an article by Putin, the report said the Russian leader noted that dialogue with Indonesia “is of special interest to Russia."
Russia is "open to the joint search for ways of building interreligious understanding, which is so essential today, including within the Organization of the Islamic Conference, where our country has become an observer with Indonesian support," Putin was quoted as saying.
