Ambassador Expects Indonesia-Russia Trade To Reach US$5 Billion

Jakarta, Aug 26 (Antara) - Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzin is optimistic that bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia will reach around US$5 billion in 2015. "In the future, I expect that Russian investment in Indonesia can be increased in the fields of transportation, infrastructure, information technology, tourism, and mining," Mikhail Galuzin stated here on Tuesday. In 2009, the trade between the two countries was recorded at US$0.77 billion and increased to US$1.68 billion in 2010. The trade value between the two countries reached US$2.55 billion in 2011 and increased to US$3.37 billion in 2012. "In 2013, the trade between the two countries was around US$3 billion," he affirmed. Moreover, he pointed out that the Island of Bali has become a popular destination for Russian tourists. "Around 100 thousand Russian tourists spend their holidays in the Island of Bali each year," he pointed out. Galuzin hoped that there will be a yearly increase in the number of Indonesian tourists visiting Russia. "We hope that Russia becomes a popular destination for Indonesians because we have beautiful places that are spread across the country," he noted. The most popular city among tourists visiting Russia is St Petersburg, which is also the nation`s greatest historical and cultural treasure. The city has several splendid palaces, impressive historical monuments, tree-lined avenues, and beautiful bridges. Moscow, the capital of Russia, is the second most popular destination. This unique city`s architecture merges the features of oriental and western cultures. "In Moscow, you can visit the Kremlin and Red Square. Then, Lake Baikal, located in the southern part, is the world`s largest freshwater lake," he added.