Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit highlighted the long-standing ties between India and Indonesia, rooted in trade, travel, shared religious influences, and cultural exchanges like Sanskrit works and Javanese Hinduism.
India supported Indonesia's fight against Dutch colonialism, with actions like banning Dutch overflights and sending Indian planes for evacuations.
Indonesia’s first President Sukarno expressed gratitude for this support.
Both countries supported the non-aligned movement (NAM) and have similar stances on rejecting great power politics, beginning with the Bandung Conference.
India and Indonesia have similar cultural and economic features, such as large populations, religious tolerance, and a commitment to equitable development.
Recent concerns driving their partnership include U.S.-China rivalry, China's aggression in the Indo-Pacific, and global challenges like food, fertilizer, and fuel security.
Both countries have worked together at international forums like the G-20 summits in Bali (2022) and Delhi (2023) and now Indonesia is part of BRICS, further solidifying their relationship.
During the visit, five MoUs were signed in areas like health, maritime security, digital development, and cultural cooperation
But there were no significant advances on key issues like the Brahmos missile sale or the Sabang port project.
The joint statement from the visit was careful not to take a firm stance on recent geopolitical issues, such as relations with the U.S. and China.
Despite modest outcomes, the visit marks an important step in strengthening ties, signaling both countries' desire to advance their bilateral relationship in the future.
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