Jakarta, July 7 (AHN) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday welcomed the elevation of defence cooperation, including through cooperation on the BrahMos Missile System and the Air-to-Air Missile Cooperation Agreement.

According to the India-Indonesia Joint Statement, both leaders also identified collaboration in the defence industry and technology as one of the priority areas of cooperation and agreed to expand mutually beneficial collaboration between the defence industries for joint production of equipment, technology transfer, technical assistance and capacity building, sourcing of defence equipment, including cooperation in ship-building, establishment of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities for similar defence platforms, exploring establishment of defence R and D, and strengthening defence supply chain ecosystem.

Both leaders welcomed progress in pharmaceutical collaboration between the Armed Forces Medical Establishments of India and Indonesia on the supply of military medicines.

They agreed to further strengthen cooperation and enhance engagements in both traditional and emerging areas of defence cooperation, including regular defence dialogue, joint exercises, staff talks, joint research and co-production of new defence technologies, port calls, peacekeeping activities, information sharing, hydrography, capacity building, cadet training and exchanges, and defence industrial cooperation.

PM Modi and President Prabowo noted the strategic and operational importance of joint exercises and defence training programmes, and agreed to further strengthen the existing naval cooperation. The two leaders noted the importance of exploring the possibility of continuing constructive discussions on maritime issues of mutual interest, in accordance with the respective national laws and regulations, as well as the principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two leaders also welcomed the continued maritime cooperation, including in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), maritime connectivity, coastal surveillance, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), pollution control and Search And Rescue (SAR) based on mutual interest and priorities of the two countries, that also contributes to delivering peace, security and prosperity in the region and greater stability in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Both leaders also welcomed the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation and the conclusion of the Implementing Arrangement between the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency BAKAMLA RI (Badan Keamanan Laut Republik Indonesia), and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

–AHN

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