New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin highlighted the longstanding ties between India and Indonesia during the third Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi and expressed optimism about further strengthening bilateral relations.
Speaking at the dialogue, Sjamsoeddin thanked India for its warm hospitality. “It is a great honor to participate in this dialogue to further deepen the longstanding relations between our two countries, India and Indonesia,” he said. He also appreciated the reception accorded to the Indonesian National Defence Forces contingent during India’s Republic Day Parade and conveyed greetings from President Prabowo.
“Indonesia and India are not only maritime neighbors but also comprehensive strategic partners. We have long and deep historical, cultural, and religious ties. Defence cooperation has long been an important pillar of this relationship, and today’s dialogue continues the strong momentum we have built together,” Sjamsoeddin added.
He recalled that in 2018, the visit of India’s Defence Minister to Jakarta revitalized defence cooperation through the ceremonial signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement. Building on that, the 2020 dialogue in New Delhi reaffirmed the shared commitment to strengthening defence collaboration, particularly in defence industry and technology cooperation. “Both sides emphasized the importance of translating discussion into concrete and practical deliverables,” he noted. Sjamsoeddin expressed confidence that the current dialogue would produce tangible outcomes to strengthen trust and advance the strategic partnership between the two defence establishments.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, co-chairing the dialogue with Sjamsoeddin, highlighted that as two democracies in the Indo-Pacific, India and Indonesia share a foundation for sustained cooperation. “India and Indonesia share civilizational ties dating back thousands of years. As maritime neighbors, we share historical, cultural, and civilizational linkages. Values of pluralism, inclusiveness, and the rule of law are common to both countries, providing direction to contemporary relations. As leading democracies in Asia, we share many commonalities that support defence, trade, cultural, and diplomatic cooperation,” Singh said.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the two ministers will review regional security developments, discuss multilateral issues, and explore new areas to deepen bilateral defence cooperation. The Indonesian minister is on a two-day visit to India from November 26 to 27, reflecting the growing momentum in India-Indonesia defence engagement and signaling a shared commitment to expanding the partnership.
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Indonesia has recently seen increasing cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral arenas, supported by frequent high-level interactions and India’s Act East Policy.
The meeting also coincides with India and Indonesia moving closer to signing the BrahMos cruise missile deal, a major boost for India’s indigenous defence industry. Defence sources told ANI that most procedures in the negotiations are complete, pending only final approval from Russia. Discussions on the deal have been ongoing for several years and were addressed in detail during a high-level visit in January by Indonesian political and military leaders to New Delhi.
India has successfully exported the missile system to the Philippines and is seeking to expand its market. The weapon system has demonstrated effectiveness in recent conflicts, including during the India-Pakistan skirmish in May. Senior Indian military leaders, including Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, have recently visited Indonesia to advance bilateral defence collaboration. (ANI)
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