India, Indonesia agree to hold early dialogue on defence, maritime, cyber security

As the two countries had adopted the “Shared Vision of India-Indonesia on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” in 2018, they agreed to hold the next Defence Ministers’ Dialogue at an early date.

According to the joint statement issued at the end of the three-day visit of the Indonesian President, the two leaders reaffirmed that India and Indonesia are “maritime neighbours and strategic partners” and emphasised the importance of regularly convening bilateral dialogue mechanisms at the leaders level, ministerial level, and senior officials level. These include the India-Indonesia Security Dialogue, Consular Dialogue and Policy Planning Dialogue, which are the key platforms for advancing mutual understanding and cooperation.

The two leaders welcomed the ratification of the Defence Agreement Cooperation (DCA) and expressed confidence that this would lead to further deepening of defence ties. They underscored the importance of regular engagements between Defence Ministers of both countries to effectively implement the DCA.

Modi and Subianto discussed the “strategic and operational interaction between the defence forces” of both countries, comprising more than two decades of continuous biannual India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol, conduct of periodic bilateral Army (Garuda Shakti) and Naval (Samudra Shakti) exercises. They welcomed the interest to have “cadet exchanges between the Naval Academies and the National Defence University/ Academy”, the joint statement said.

Recognising the importance of building “domestic defence manufacturing capabilities”, President Subianto appreciated India’s advancements and expressed interest in strengthening cooperation in this sector.

“India agreed to support the ongoing defence modernization programmes of Indonesia through experience and expertise sharing. Both countries affirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration in the defence industry by utilizing the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee,” the joint statement said.

The Indonesian President “welcomed India’s interest in enhancing cooperation on maritime security, including its engagement with regional mechanisms to ensure the safety and security of sea lanes of communication. Both leaders also acknowledged the significance of collaborative efforts to achieve safe and secure sea lanes in the region. In this regard, they agreed that there needs to be constant communication to discuss enhancement of maritime safety”, the statement said.

It said that both also welcomed the ongoing discussions on the White Shipping Information Exchange agreement. They agreed to position an International Liaison Officer from Indonesia at Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) Gurugram. They agreed to continue discussions to identify mutually beneficial areas of cooperation in maritime security.

The statement said the leaders welcomed the “renewal of the MoU on Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation which signifies commitment to continue cooperating in preventing and responding to acts of crime at sea, coordinating search and rescue operation upon request, and capacity building activities”.

On South China Sea, the joint statement said, “Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas, including unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).”

“In this regard, they supported the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.”

On counter-terrorism, the joint statement said both leaders “strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in combating this threat through bilateral and multilateral initiatives”.

“They underscored the importance of strengthening global efforts to combat terrorism, including eliminating terror financing and preventing the recruitment of terrorists, without any double standards. Both leaders emphasized the need for all countries to work collectively to deny safe havens and support networks to terrorist groups, in accordance with international obligations and commitments,” the statement said.

It said that they “called upon all countries to take concerted action against UN-proscribed terrorist organizations and their affiliates. Recognizing the evolving nature of security challenges, the two leaders agreed to work together in preventing the spread of online radicalization and strengthening mechanisms to counter extremist ideologies”.

On food security, President Subianto expressed appreciation for “India’s support in Indonesia’s new mid-day meal scheme through the sharing of knowledge and experience, as well as facilitating the visits of Indonesian officials to various relevant Indian institutions”.

Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting the initiative and invited more Indonesian officials to benefit from the expertise of the Food Corporation of India in managing the Public Distribution System, it said.

Both leaders also welcomed the “establishment of a Track 1.5 dialogue mechanism between think-tanks of the two countries”.