India- Indonesia Joint Commission meeting is underway in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono are co-chairing the meeting. In his opening remarks, Dr Jaishankar said that the joint commission between both nations is convening after a gap of four years, and it is essential to acknowledge that significant advancements in bilateral relations have been made during this time. He said, India- Indonesia celebrated the 75 years of establishment of bilateral ties last year. Dr Jaishankar said that he is looking forward to in-depth conversations about the entire range of bilateral cooperation, including political, defense, security, maritime, trade and investment, health, pharmaceuticals, food security, tourism, education, and cultural cooperation.
Our correspondent reports that the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting will review the robust Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both countries and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.
India and Indonesia share culture, colonial history and post-independence goals of political sovereignty, economic self-sufficiency and independent foreign policy. These ties have now expanded in the realm of more sophisticated political, economic, defence and science and technology cooperation ties. The Joint Commission Mechanism was established at the level of the Foreign Ministers following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2001. Both nations elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jakarta. Both countries also welcomed the adoption of the Shared Vision on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, which has led to further deepening of the bilateral relations in the defence sector.
