Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral summit with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was on a state visit to India, in New Delhi on Saturday (January 25). The two countries signed a series of cooperation agreements in the fields of health, defense, digital technology and maritime affairs in order to expand and deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Prabowo arrived in India on Thursday night, which was his first visit to India since he became the president of Indonesia last year. Prabowo will also be the guest of honor at India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations on Sunday, which commemorates the adoption of the country’s first constitution on January 26, 1950, nearly three years after India’s independence from Britain.
Reuters reported that Modi and Prabowo attended and witnessed the ceremony of signing cooperation agreements between the two countries.
The Associated Press quoted Modi as saying that the leaders of the two countries decided to work together to promote the development of defense industry, manufacturing and supply chain, and cooperate in the fields of maritime and cybersecurity.
“The agreement on maritime safety and security signed today will further strengthen our cooperation in combating crime, search and rescue, and capacity expansion,” Modi said.
“We have also decided to cooperate on issues such as maritime security, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism and anti-extremism,” Reuters quoted Modi as saying.
Prabowo thanked India for supporting Indonesia’s full membership in the BRICS grouping earlier this year, stressing that the grouping of emerging market economies “is conducive to global stability and regional cooperation.”
The Associated Press quoted Prabowo as saying that he had “in-depth and very frank discussions” with Modi and that he hoped the two countries could accelerate cooperation in the economic field and overcome bureaucracy.
Reuters also quoted Prabowo as saying that Indonesia will accelerate the establishment of an economic partnership with India and give priority to developing a long-term relationship with India.
“We discussed many key areas of common interest and we hope to accelerate the level of cooperation,” Reuters quoted Prabowo as saying at a press conference after the signing ceremony.
The Associated Press reported, citing data from the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, that Indonesia is India’s second-largest trading partner among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with bilateral trade totaling $29.4 billion between 2023 and 2024.
Earlier on Saturday, Prabowo, accompanied by Modi, went to the Indian presidential palace to pay a visit to Indian President Draupadi Murmu.
