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Indonesia, Thailand sign

planes-for-rice deal

JAKARTA: Indonesia signed a $34 million planes-for-rice counter-trade deal with Thailand on Thursday and said it would look for more such trade pacts with other countries.

The two countries, holding talks during the course of Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa's two-day visit to Indonesia, also agreed to extend cooperation in the fields of natural gas, coal and fishing.

Under the counter-trade agreement, Indonesia would buy 110,000 tonnes of various types of rice from Thailand and in return Thailand would buy two Indonesia-made CN-235 planes, Beddu Amang, head of the logistics bureau (BULOG), told reporters.

He said details of deliveries would be worked out later by officials from both countries.

Indonesian State Secretary Murdiono said the government would look for counter-trade deals with other countries to boost exports.-Reuter