UNITED STATES UNHAPPY WITH INDONESIA’S SUKHOI IMPORT: TRADE OFFICIAL

The Trade Ministry's international trade director general, Oke Nurwan, has said the United States has expressed its disappointment with the ongoing process of a purchase of 11 Sukhoi SU-35 jet fighters from Russia through a barter trade scheme.

‘While we are in the process of the barter trade with Russia, the US is trying to intervene,” Oke said in Jakarta on Wednesday during an exporter gathering as quoted by kompas.com.

Oke said Indonesia had agreed with Russia to purchase the 11 Sukhoi jet fighters worth US$1.14 billion through a barter scheme.

Through the agreement, Russia is required to buy a number of commodities from Indonesia like palm oil, coffee, rubber and tea with the total import at least $570 million or about half of the Sukhoi deal, the official said.

He stressed that the barter scheme could become a model of trade cooperation like with countries from which Indonesia imported oil and gas.

He said Indonesia would go ahead with its plan to purchase Sukhoi jet fighters from Russia, although the deal was questioned by the US.