New Russian Ambassador Appointed To Indonesia

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 24

New Russian Ambassador Appointed To Indonesia

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MOSCOW, April 26. A career diplomat, Mr Mikhail Sytenko, has been appointed Soviet Ambassador to Indonesia, it was officially announced today. Sytenko, aged 47, served earlier as a counsellor at the Soviet Embassy in Prague. Ambassador to Ghana, and as the chief of an African section of the Soviet Foreign Ministry. He succeeds Mr Nikolai Mikhailov, the Ambassador to Djakarta since June, 1960. who will receive another assignment. No reason was given for the change. The Russians have lost influence in Indonesia’s large Chinese-oriented Communist Party and have counted largely on their relations with the Sukarno Government to maintain influence in Indonesia. In Djakarta, Antara, the news agency reported that a second Indonesian armed forces mission would leave soon for Moscow on a trip apparently related to arms purchases. Antara said the mission would be held to make Indonesia’s “defence and security self-reliant.”

The agency said the mission would consist of the joint staffs of the armed forces and the Supreme Command.

The Soviet Union has already provided Indonesia with an estimated 1090 million United States dollars since 1960. But it was reported that latest Soviet arms deliveries to Indonesia were behind schedule.