India, Indonesia to upgrade ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Jakarta: India and Indonesia today agreed to upgrade their ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as the two countries signed 15 agreements including one on defence cooperation after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joko Widodo here.

Prime Minister Modi, who arrived here last night on his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival at the Merdeka palace, one of the presidential palaces in Indonesia.

The two leaders had a tete-e-tete before the delegation-level talks. In a joint press statement after the talks, Modi said India and Indonesia have agreed to upgrade their ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

During the meeting, the two leaders highlighted potential areas of cooperation in marine, economy, and socio-culture as well as discussed regional and global issues. Modi said that India’s Act East Policy and the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region) matches President Widodo’s Maritime Fulcrum Policy.

He also said that India and Indonesia will double their efforts to take bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2025. Recalling the visit of ASEAN leaders in January to attend the Republic Day parade, Modi said India-ASEAN partnership can become a guarantee of peace not only in Indo-Pacific region but also beyond it.

He strongly condemned the recent terror strikes on three churches in Indonesia’s second-largest city Surabaya, and said India stands resolutely with Jakarta in the fight against terror. The two countries signed 15 agreements including on the cooperation in the field of defence, space, science and technology, railways and health.