From defence to trade: EAM Jaishankar outlines blueprint for deeper India-Indonesia cooperation
New Delhi, June 7
Highlighting the deep-seated historical and strategic ties between the two nations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday stated that the visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the Republic Day Chief Guest in 2025 has imparted fresh momentum to the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Welcoming the Indonesian delegation for the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM), which is being held after a gap of four years, Jaishankar outlined the vast potential for multi-sectoral cooperation.
"It's a great pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to New Delhi for the eighth India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting. Our Joint Commission is happening after four years.
"We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our bilateral ties in 2025. We had the honour to welcome President Prabowo Subianto on a state visit and as the Chief Guest for India's 76th Republic Day last year.
"When I had called on His Excellency during that visit, I very much valued the guidance provided by him on further developing multifaceted bilateral ties.
"There were very fruitful discussions between Prime Minister Modi and President Prabowo during the visit, and that has certainly imparted fresh momentum to our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister further emphasised that the high-level dialogue would comprehensively review and expand cooperation across diverse strategic fields, ranging from defence and trade to health and education.
"Today, I look forward to extensive discussions with you, covering the full spectrum of our bilateral cooperation from political to defence and security, maritime trade and investments, health and pharmaceuticals, food security, as well as tourism, education, and cultural cooperation," Jaishankar added.
The ongoing JCM discussions, co-chaired alongside Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, serve as a vital institutional mechanism to review progress on these major commitments made during President Prabowo's state visit.
The ministerial meeting directly builds upon recent diplomatic engagements, following a meeting on May 14 when Jaishankar met Foreign Minister Sugiono in the national capital ahead of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting.
In a post on X after that interaction, Jaishankar stated, "Glad to welcome FM Sugiono of Indonesia. Reviewed the progress of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and our cooperation with ASEAN."
This diplomatic momentum extends into deep-seated security cooperation between the two nations.
Pursuant to the MoU for cooperation in Counter Terrorism signed in 2004, India and Indonesia have continued their robust security dialogue, accentuated by the 6th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in Jakarta on 23 August 2024.
Ultimately, ties between India and Indonesia--the two largest democracies in South and Southeast Asia--have flourished since the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018.
This latest meeting comes at a pivotal time for regional cooperation, with both nations actively participating in various ASEAN-led mechanisms and initiatives, such as the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030).
The visit is viewed as a vital step in ensuring that the bilateral momentum remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving regional geopolitical landscape.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Hope this translates into more trade opportunities for small businesses too. Indonesian palm oil and Indian textiles have a lot of potential for cross-border exchange. Let's see if the MoUs actually lead to ground-level impact. 🤞
Good that they're talking about food security and health. With the way global supply chains are shifting, closer ties with ASEAN nations like Indonesia are essential. But we also need to address visa and connectivity issues to make it easier for people to travel for business and tourism.
I appreciate the diplomatic efforts, but at the end of the day, people want to see results in terms of jobs and cheaper goods. All these strategic partnerships are fine, but the common citizen rarely feels the benefit. Still, better than being isolated.
Indonesia is a key partner in the ASEAN region, and their President coming as Republic Day chief guest was a strong signal. The counter-terrorism JWG meeting in Jakarta last year shows real commitment beyond just photo-ops. Let's keep the momentum going! 🇮🇳🤝🇮🇩
The fact that the Joint Commission Meeting happened after a four-year gap is a bit concerning. Such gaps can slow down cooperation. Hope they set up a more regular review mechanism so that commitments don't gather dust. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
A We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.