Indonesian officials say they have signed an initial agreement with Russia to build a space launch center on the remote island of Biak off the coast of Papua New Guinea.
An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman says senior officials from both countries reached the preliminary agreement last week.
They say the island is well-suited for the project because of its proximity to the equator, which makes it easier to launch satellites into some Earth orbits.
The spokesman says a formal agreement on the project will be signed in June when Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to visit Moscow.
