Jakarta seeks strategic partnership agreement with Moscow, says speaker

MOSCOW, December 4./TASS/. Indonesia comes out in favor of signing an agreement on strategic partnership with Russia, Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan said as he meet with the speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament on Monday. "I hope that next year [Russian President] Vladimir Putin will be able to visit Indonesia and sign an agreement on strategic partnership. I hope such document will encourage the strengthening of our relations," Zulkifli Hasan said at talks with Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in Moscow. The Indonesian speaker said President Putin was his hero. "I believe that the world is stable at the moment owing to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," Hasan said. The Duma speaker, for his part, noted that Putin is the most popular politician in Russia. "And it is pleasant that representing a different country, you share this view, and this person is also popular in our country, and you respect him," Volodin said. The Russian speaker reiterated that Russia has got out of a recession this year. "The country’s budget was approved with criteria of economic growth, whose parameters envisage a GDP growth. This is a very important index that we have managed to achieve despite all challenges thanks to our president," Volodin said. Read more