Russia played host to arms delegations from Indonesia and Greece in late August as the country steps up its activities in the defence-exports market.
An Indonesian delegation, headed by minister for national development and planning Gunandjar Kartasasmita, visited Moscow to talk to Russian minister of economics Yakov Urinson about buying 12 Sukhoi Su-30K fighters and eight Mil Mi-8-1V helicopters.
Jakarta insists on covering 80% of the estimated $1 billion-plus contract by barter deliveries of items such as coffee and palm oil. Sources in Moscow say that Russia may agree a 50-50 division between hard currency and barter goods, but then Russia would want to receive 100% cash for further supplies of spares and services.
If the deal is finalised, the helicopters are to be delivered in 1999, and Indonesia will receive the Su-30Ks before the end of 2000.
A Greek delegation headed by chief of general staff Col Gen Aphanasios Tzoganis has also been in Moscow looking at weapons, including MAPO MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-27s at Kubinka air base. Tzoganis says in an interview with Izvestia that Greece is also interested in acquiring a surface-to-air missile system, possibly the S-300.
A similar contract signed by Rosvoorouzheniye, Russia's arms sales agency, for delivery of the S-300 to Cyprus, brought protests from Turkey, which claims that the deal breaks the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Source: Flight International