REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,JAKARTA -- Russia has always supported Indonesia in international politics, said Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Djauhari Oratmangun. "Russia has never supported other parties that are hostile to Indonesia, including East Timor," he said.

However, in the final discussion of the East Timor issue at the United Nations, Russia abstained after consulting the Indonesian delegation, he said.

Russia's persistent support for Indonesia has been inseparable from the cultural diplomacy launched by the founders of the Republic of Indonesia in the 1950s, he said. "It turns out that cultural diplomacy has had a longstanding effect despite political upheavals. It (the cultural diplomacy) serves as one of the effective ways to forge close ties between the two nations," he said.

As multi-cultural and multi-ethnic countries, Russia and Indonesia have many things in common, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also has close relations with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two leaders have met several times at various international forums and have had conservations over the phone, he said. "President Putin's confirmation on his attendance at the APEC Summit in Bali is indicative of how important Indonesia is for Russia," he said.

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