New Delhi, Jul 7 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday pledged to deepen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, announcing a series of initiatives spanning defence, healthcare, technology, agriculture, critical minerals, digital payments and cultural cooperation, while describing the bilateral relationship as entering a "golden new chapter."
Addressing a joint press statement after bilateral talks in Jakarta, Modi said the partnership established in 2018 had gained fresh momentum and was expanding across multiple sectors.
"Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2018, is now reaching new heights. We are taking significant steps forward in every field—development, security, technology, culture and education. I am confident that today marks the beginning of a golden new chapter in the India-Indonesia partnership," the prime minister said.
Earlier in the day, Modi was conferred Indonesia's highest civilian honour. Accepting the award, he dedicated it to the people of India and described it as a reflection of the enduring friendship between the two nations.
"This morning, I had the privilege of being conferred Indonesia's highest civilian honour with great warmth and affection. This honour belongs to the millions of people of India. It reflects the goodwill of the people of Indonesia and symbolises the historic and deeply cherished ties between India and Indonesia," he said, thanking President Prabowo, the Indonesian government and its people for the recognition.
Highlighting growing strategic convergence, Modi said increasing trust between the two countries was reinforcing cooperation in defence, maritime security and disaster management.
"The growing trust between our two countries is strengthening our cooperation in defence, security and maritime affairs. Today, we agreed to expand cooperation in defence exchanges, disaster management and industrial collaboration," he said.
The two sides also placed strong emphasis on strengthening health cooperation. Modi announced that an agreement concluded during the visit would improve access to affordable Indian medicines in Indonesia while also supporting the training of Indonesian healthcare professionals.
"The agreement signed today will make India's high-quality and affordable medicines more easily accessible to the people of Indonesia. We will also contribute to the capacity building of Indonesian doctors and healthcare workers," he said.
Agriculture and food security emerged as another important pillar of cooperation. Modi said India would supply wheat seeds developed by Indian researchers to Indonesia and expand collaboration in sustainable agriculture.
"The supply of wheat seeds developed in India will further strengthen Indonesia's food security. We will also share best practices in sustainable farming and agri-technology," he said.
In the technology and industrial sectors, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of building resilient global supply chains, particularly in strategically important industries.
"In today's world, resilience in technology supply chains is of great importance. We have also reached an important agreement to further strengthen supply chains in the critical minerals and steel sectors. A new chapter of cooperation is beginning between our companies in the areas of stainless steel and rare-earth magnets," he said.
Modi also announced that India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) would soon be integrated with Indonesia's payment system, a move expected to facilitate business transactions and make travel more convenient for citizens of both countries.
"We are delighted that India's UPI will soon be integrated with Indonesia's payment system. This will enhance both the Ease of Doing Business and the Ease of Travel between our countries," he said.
The leaders also underscored the civilisational bonds linking India and Indonesia. Modi said he and President Prabowo would jointly launch the conservation project for the historic Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta on Wednesday.
"Tomorrow, along with President Prabowo, I will have the honour of launching the conservation project for the Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta. The Prambanan Temple, which is more than a thousand years old, is a symbol of the shared cultural heritage of India and Indonesia," he said.
The Prime Minister further announced that the two countries would jointly commemorate the centenary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's historic visit to Indonesia by observing it as the "Tagore and Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy."
"Our two countries will celebrate with great enthusiasm the centenary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's historic visit to Indonesia. Indonesia's great educationist and its first Education Minister, Ki Hajar Dewantara, made an immense contribution to the country's development journey. His ideas on education were deeply influenced by the vision of Gurudev Tagore. Therefore, India and Indonesia will celebrate this centenary year as the 'Tagore and Dewantara Year of Cultural and Educational Diplomacy'," Modi said.
India and Indonesia share a long history of cultural, maritime and commercial engagement dating back centuries. The two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018 and have since expanded cooperation in trade, defence, connectivity, the Indo-Pacific, energy, healthcare and digital technologies. Indonesia remains India's largest trading partner in ASEAN, while both countries continue to work closely on regional and global platforms to promote a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
UNI SKA ARN