MOSCOW, September 19 (RIA Novosti) - Indonesia is negotiating a deal to buy Russian amphibious tanks, the country's ambassador to Moscow said Friday.

"We are currently discussing the possibility of buying amphibious tanks from Russia," Hamid Awaluddin told a RIA Novosti news conference.

He did not specify the make or the number of tanks under consideration, but stressed that military-technical cooperation between Russia and Indonesia was developing "quite successfully."

In late August, Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Indonesian Defense Ministry signed a $40 million contract for the delivery of 20 BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicles, to be made in 2010.

The BMP-3F is specially designed for operations at sea, and with improved seaworthiness and buoyancy it can handle continuous amphibious operation for seven hours.

The vehicle is capable of engaging targets at a range of up to 6 km with its antitank guided missile system 9K116-3 Basnya.