Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono chaired a limited meeting to discuss the procurement of main weaponry system (Alutsista) at his office on Thursday.

Present at the meeting were among others National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono, National Police Chief Gen Timur Proadop, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Army Chief of Staff Gen Pramono Edhie Wibowo, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Soeparno, and Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Imam Sufaat.

At the meeting the president asserted that the business makers who participated in the process of procurement and modernization of Alutsista should follow the existing procedures to encourage self-sufficiency of national strategic industry.

"I remind the business makers in this field to follow the government policy, and then to develop the independence of our own defense industry without any irregularities, conspiracy, and marked up that have happened in the past," President Yudhoyono said.

The head of state also reminded the TNI and Polri leaders to take heed to that matter.

"This is what I am asking TNI-Police leaders to do in the procurement of defense equipment, and I hope the ranks of Finance Ministry, National Development Planning Board, and Defense Ministry will do the same," the president said.

With all the policies taken by the government, the president said he was optimistic that the modernization and fulfillment of weaponry system for TNI and Polri would be made.

"We hope in this period the modernization of our defense weaponry system can be made because in the last 20 years we could not make it in an all out manner because of economic crisis and the absence of our ability to do so," the president said.

But following improvement of national economy, the president said that the government`s effort to modernize the defense weaponry system could be realized.(*)

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Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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