An Indian official said on Tuesday that India will supply long-range missiles to Indonesia, at a time when the leaders of the two countries agreed to deepen relations in the fields of defense, important minerals and other areas.
President Prabowo Subianto is hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jakarta during a three-day state visit, with an agreement on the BrahMos missile system high on the agenda.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that an agreement had been reached “to cooperate in the BrahMos system” during the visit.
He added that the two countries also reached an agreement on cooperation in the field of air-to-air missiles that “enhances technological cooperation and defense capabilities.”
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Details of the deal were not disclosed, and a spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
Modi praised the “increased trust” between Jakarta and New Delhi after his meeting with Prabowo, which he said supports cooperation in “defence, security and maritime affairs.”
“Today we have reached an agreement to enhance defense exchanges, disaster management and industrial cooperation,” Modi told reporters.
Modi said the coast guards of the two countries will also work together on maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean.
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Asia’s two largest democracies also agreed to work together on vital minerals – which Indonesia produces in abundance – and steel.
“A new partnership has begun between our companies in the field of stainless steel and rare earth magnets,” Modi said.
Prabowo said Indonesia and India consider economic cooperation “one of the cornerstones” of bilateral relations.
He said he and Modi agreed to increase bilateral trade and speed up negotiations on a preferential trade agreement.
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They also welcomed efforts to restore Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yogyakarta, which they will visit together on Wednesday.
Modi is scheduled to visit Australia and New Zealand after concluding his visit to Indonesia, according to a statement by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
