"I welcome the cooperation offered by President Putin," declared the head of state when he met with the families of the air crash victims here at Halim Perdanakusuma air force base on Friday.
The cooperation will involve search and evacuation efforts as well as an investigation into the cause of the airplane accident.
Yudhoyono and Putin discussed the accident over the telephone, and both expressed their deep condolences and sympathy to the victims` families.
"We are both mourning, because the plane is made in Russia but most of the passengers are Indonesians," President Yudhoyono remarked.
After meeting and shaking hands with the victims` families, President Yudhoyono left for a working visit to Bali.
The president`s special aide for international affairs Teuku Faizasyah had earlier told ANTARA that Yudhoyono and Putin had spoken to each other over the telephone at 10:30 pm Jakarta time.
During the call, Putin commended the Indonesian government`s efforts in mobilising search and rescue efforts and initiating an investigation into the accident.
Meanwhile, according to the Itar-Tass news agency, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has sent a rescue team to Indonesia to take part in the search and rescue operations at the Sukhoi Superjet crash site.
The ministry`s spokesperson Irina Andrianova told Itar-Tass, "As decided by the country`s leadership and in coordination with the Indonesian side, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has sent rescuers and the necessary equipment, including a helicopter, for a search and rescue operation."
Andrianova noted that an Il-76 plane is set to take off at 02:00 Moscow time on May 11.
There are 42 persons on board the plane, including members of the Centrospas rescue team, medics, psychologists and an operational group.
"All the rescuers are trained in mountain climbing and have the required equipment. They will take part in the search for flight recorders and in other work," Andrianova pointed out.
The ministry`s plane will carry a Bo-105 helicopter to Jakarta for the search operation. Half an hour upon its arrival in Jakarta, the helicopter will be ready to fly to the crash site.
She added that another plane of the Ministry for Emergency Situations will take off for Indonesia before noon on May 11.(*)
(F001/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
