Prime Minister Narendra Modi today received a call from Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianta. The President-elect, who won the election in April, is to take the oath of office of the President of an archipelago that straddles both the Indian and Pacific oceans. Indonesia a critical player in the region and shares many regional concerns with India.
In a social media post after the conversation, PM Modi stated, ‘Delighted to receive a phone call from President-elect @prabowo. Wished him success for his upcoming Presidency. We discussed ways to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Indonesia that is based on our civilizational ties.’ Both nations are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024.
Both nations share a maritime border with Indonesia’s Aceh being just 80 Nautical Miles (NM) from Indira Point in the Andamans. The sea route to the crucial Malacca Straits passes through this region and is important for global trade, particularly for China, which depends on it for the bulk of its energy needs. Both nations seek to enhance naval cooperation. The idea was put forth by PM Modi during his visit to Jakarta in 2018 and led to the adoption of ‘Shared Vision on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region’. India had agreed to develop Sabang Port, some 104 NM from Indira Point.
The incumbent Indonesian President lauded the partnership saying “India is a strategic defense partner. We will continue to advance our cooperation in developing infrastructure, including at Sabang and the Andaman Islands”.
Besides the strategic aspects, both nations are major economic partners and had a bilateral trade worth USD 38.8 billion in FY 2022-23. Trade is expected to increase. India exports refined petroleum products, vehicles, telecommunication equipment, bovine meat, animal feed, agriculture products, steel, plastics, pharmaceuticals, engineering products and healthcare services to Indonesia. While in return, India exports palm oil, rubber and hydrocarbons such as coal from the archipelago.
