Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday received a grand welcome upon his arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Prime Minister is on a three-country visit, the first stop being Indonesia.
Modi arrived in Indonesia on Monday, where he was received by an Indonesian Air Force fighter plane and personally received by the Indonesian President at the airport.
Military fighter jets escorted the Prime Minister’s plane as it entered Indonesian airspace before he was officially welcomed and received by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto with a traditional cultural dance performance.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit comes at the personal invitation of President Prabowo, and is his fourth trip to the Southeast Asian country.
Following his warm welcome, the Prime Minister will meet with President Prabowo to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries, defense and food security, among other topics.
What’s on the agenda?
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s ambassador to Indonesia, told reporters that MoUs on health, space, pharmaceuticals and food security would be discussed with the Indonesian president.
Reuters quoted him as saying: “Some of them are under preparation, some will be completed in due time, and some may be delayed, but there will still be results related to the visit.”
New Delhi and Jakarta also hope to conclude certain agreements regarding BrahMos, a joint venture missile manufacturing company between India and Russia, besides covering maritime awareness and piracy.
According to the Prime Minister, this visit to Indonesia also falls under India’s Neighborhood First initiative and the MAHASAGAR (Joint and Comprehensive Advancement of Security Across Regions) framework.
“My visits to Indonesia and Australia in the eastern and southern Indian Ocean, respectively, followed by New Zealand, will reinforce the East India Policy, the Mahasagar Vision, as well as our outlook towards a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Prime Minister said in his departure statement.
Prime Minister Modi is on a visit to three countries. From July 6 to 8, she will be prime minister in Indonesia, followed by Australia from July 8 to 10. The last stop of the trip is New Zealand from July 10 to 11.
