Russia-RI ties

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 09/15/2007 2:40 PM  |  Opinion

I would like to add some remarks to your article on Sept. 7 titled ""RI, Russia strike historic deals"".

Other historic stories in the Russo-Indonesian relationship can also be brought up to date, if we remember how much Russian voices have supported Indonesia on the international stage.

Russian, in the same spirit of anti-colonialism, was among the first countries to give full recognition to the independence of Indonesia. In contrast, most Western countries were still backing the Dutch colonialists in Indonesia.

Russia and its envoy Andrei Gromyko in the United Nations spoke out against the brutality of the Dutch and its allies in Indonesia at the end of the 1940s.

Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev visited Indonesia in February 1960 to give support for Indonesia to gain sovereignty over West Papua.

During his visit, Khrushchev signed deals on major projects, including a stadium in Jakarta able to seat more than 100,000.

Russians have never impinged on Indonesia's sovereignty or dignity, while many donor Western countries have always attached conditions to their aid based on unfair policies that reveal double-standards.

The visit of President Putin to Indonesia has reminded us that Russians and Indonesians have had glorious moments in the past.

IWAN SATYANEGARA
Jakarta

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