PTI
Jakarta
India on Tuesday agreed to supply BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Astra air-to-air missiles to Indonesia, marking a significant expansion of defence ties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto underlined the importance of deeper bilateral partnership for a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific.
The two sides inked 14 agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including critical minerals and steel supply chains, maritime security, medicines, education, outer space, research and innovation, telecommunication and food security, further broadening ties amid growing geopolitical upheavals.
In another significant move, India and Indonesia agreed to jointly develop the strategically-located Sabang Port, which overlooks the Strait of Malacca and is around 100 miles away from India’s Great Nicobar Port project.
“I express my support for the development of ports in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as the development and expansion of Sabang Port in Aceh, as a strategic link between Sabang Island and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India,” President Prabowo said.
After his talks with the Indonesian President, PM Modi said: “A golden era is now at the threshold for our two nations.”
Modi landed in Jakarta on Monday to a red-carpet welcome in the first leg of his three-nation tour, that will also cover Australia and New Zealand, to shore up cooperation in sectors such as trade, energy, security and rare-earth minerals under the framework of the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
of 2018.
In Tuesday’s meeting, Modi and Prabowo called for a “zero-tolerance” approach to counter
terrorism.
Both the leaders demanded action against globally proscribed terrorists and welcomed the early conclusion of an agreement on counter-terror cooperation between the two countries, to be signed in the “near future”.
In his media statement, Modi said India reiterated its call for navigating “global turbulence” through dialogue and diplomacy, and asserted New Delhi’s support for a two-state solution to the Palestine issue.
The pacts sealed after the talks included one on supply of an unspecified number of BrahMos missiles and another on Astra beyond-visual range missiles.
It is perhaps the first time that two Indian defence exports deals, estimated to be worth over $600 million, were announced in presence of the prime minister. Both weapon systems played a major role for the Indian military during Operation Sindoor last year.
The BrahMos missile deal with Indonesia came after India inked similar pacts with Vietnam and the Philippines. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles.
The missile pacts, as well as another decision on implementation of an agreement on maritime safety and security, came against the backdrop of rising concerns in South East Asia over China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the resource-rich South China Sea and beyond.
Modi said the growing trust between the two countries is strengthening cooperation in defence, security and the maritime domain. “Today, we agreed to further enhance collaboration in defence exchanges, disaster management, and industrial cooperation,” he said.
“Our two Coast Guards will now work together to enhance maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean. As two close maritime nations, we have also decided to deepen our cooperation in the blue economy, port development, and maritime trade,” he said.
Without making any direct reference to Chinese belligerence in the South China Sea, the two leaders underscored the importance of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), freedom of navigation and overflight while refraining from the threat or use of force.
President Prabowo appreciated India’s consistent support for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) unity and ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture for regional peace, stability and prosperity, according to a joint statement.
Both leaders identified collaboration in the defence industry as one of the priority areas of cooperation. They agreed to expand mutually beneficial collaboration for joint production of equipment, sourcing of defence equipment, including cooperation in ship-building, and establishment of MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facilities.
