NEW DELHI: India and Indonesia on Sunday reviewed the full spectrum of their expanding strategic partnership, with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Jakarta would provide fresh momentum to bilateral ties at a time when both countries are seeking a larger role in shaping the Indo-Pacific strategic landscape.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi.
"Looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Jakarta. The visit will be an important opportunity to further deepen our cooperation and deliver tangible benefits for our peoples," Sugiono said.
Sources indicated that Modi's visit to Indonesia is expected to be part of a wider regional tour that will also take him to Australia and New Zealand next month, highlighting New Delhi's growing focus on strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
The meeting reviewed cooperation across a broad range of sectors under the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including defence, maritime security, trade, digital connectivity, critical minerals, health, infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges.
"A pleasure to co-chair the 8th India–Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting alongside FM Sugiono. Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has witnessed a strong growth in recent years," Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister said the two sides held "substantive discussions" on political, defence and security cooperation, maritime and shipping connectivity, fintech, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, critical minerals, tourism, education and cultural exchanges.
Both ministers also exchanged views on regional developments and discussed ways to advance coordination in multilateral forums, including efforts to deepen engagement between India and ASEAN.
The discussions reflected the increasing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Jakarta, particularly in the maritime domain. Since elevating ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Modi's 2018 visit to Indonesia, both countries have steadily expanded defence cooperation and coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
The adoption of the India-Indonesia Shared Vision on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a key pillar of the relationship.
The meeting also built on recent high-level engagement between the two countries. Jaishankar and Sugiono had met on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting last month, where they reviewed progress under the bilateral partnership and ASEAN cooperation frameworks.
Relations received a further boost in January 2025 when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto paid a State Visit to India and attended the Republic Day celebrations as Chief Guest, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
As India prepares for Modi's forthcoming engagements in Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, officials view the tour as an opportunity to reinforce New Delhi's Indo-Pacific strategy through deeper economic, maritime and strategic partnerships with key regional stakeholders.