RUSSIAN ARMS FOR SUKARNO

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 13

RUSSIAN ARMS FOR SUKARNO

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOSCOW, October 2.

The Soviet Union has agreed to let Indonesia buy more Russian weapons to support President Sukarno’s “crush Malaysia” policy.

The Russians made the pledge in a joint communique yesterday following Sukarno’s 46-hour visit to Moscow. Sukarno flew to Geneva today leaving behind his Defence Minister (General Abdul Harris Naswtion) to work out details.

The communique, carried infull by the official news agency, Tass, did not specify the weapons involved. It said only that Soviet “consent was expressed to increase Indonesia’s defence potential by equipment for her armed forces.” The communique left no doubt, however, that the Soviet Union supports Sukarno’s determination to crush neighbouring Malaysia. Same Language Sukarno has called Malaysia a colonialist plot to encircle Indonesia. The communique used the same language. It said: “The Soviet people are coming out against neocolonialist plans fpr Malay-

sia; in agreement with this viewpoint the Soviet people are assisting and helping Indonesia in its struggle against neo-colonialist plans.” The communique also, said: “The Soviet side reaffirmed that it backs the liberation struggle of the peoples of North Kalimantan,” the Indonesian term for Malaysian Borneo. Before he left, Sukarno said his talks with Mr Khrushchev and the top Soviet expert on arms aid, General G. S. Sidorovich, had been “very fruitful.”