Indonesia has supplied assurances that no Russian army plane will probably be stationed at an airbase within the nation’s easternmost province of Papua, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated Wednesday.
Marles stated he spoke together with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who rejected a report that Russia has lodged a request to base long-range planes at a army airfield not removed from the Australian metropolis of Darwin, 9 News reported.
Marles’ assertion got here after Australian opposition chief Peter Dutton raised the problem amid the marketing campaign for parliamentary elections scheduled for May 3 and stated that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had been knowledgeable.
Dutton’s remarks got here after the protection publication Janes stated in a report that Russia had requested to station warplanes at Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Numfor within the Indonesian province of Papua, situated simply 1,300 kilometers (807 miles) from Darwin.
Indonesia’s protection minister “made it utterly clear to me that reports of a prospect of a Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are completely false and that Indonesia has no intention of doing this whatsoever,” stated Marles.
Marles additionally rejected Dutton’s declare that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had “publicly announced” Russia’s request to base plane on his nation’s soil.
“I cannot overstate the dangerous nature of an alternative prime minister of this country seeking to put words in the mouth of the president of Indonesia, which turned out to be completely wrong,” he added.
On Tuesday, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with Prabowo in Jakarta and mentioned progress on negotiations for a free commerce settlement, in accordance with Antara news company.
“We discussed the Indonesia-Eurasian free trade agreement and hope it can be completed when the president visits St. Petersburg,” stated Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, who additionally attended the assembly.
Prabowo is predicted to go to Russia later this 12 months as Manturov invited him to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which can happen from June 18-21.
Source: www.anews.com.tr