NEW DELHI, Jan 25 – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in New Delhi on Thursday night for his first visit to India as head of state, marking a significant moment in India-Indonesia relations.
Subianto’s visit is primarily to attend India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. He was welcomed at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.
“A warm welcome to President Prabowo Subianto @prabowo of Indonesia as he arrives in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This visit will further strengthen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” he added.
The two nations are expected to finalize several agreements to deepen cooperation in various sectors during Subianto’s visit. This visit underscores the growing partnership between India and Indonesia, which was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jakarta.
Notably, Subianto is the fourth Indonesian president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations. Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, was the chief guest at the inaugural Republic Day parade in 1950.
This year’s celebrations will feature a 352-member Indonesian marching and band contingent at the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, the first time the Southeast Asian nation has participated in such an event abroad.
India and Indonesia, close maritime neighbors with cultural and trade ties spanning over a millennium, have witnessed a steady upswing in relations. Bilateral trade reached $29.4 billion in 2023, making Indonesia one of India’s largest trading partners in the ASEAN region. Indian investments in Indonesia, totaling $1.56 billion, span sectors such as infrastructure, textiles, steel, and automotive.
The Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, adopted in 2018, continues to guide the strategic relationship. Defence ties have also strengthened, particularly following a defence cooperation agreement signed in 2018.
Indonesia is home to approximately 150,000 people of Indian origin, whose ancestors migrated there in the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition, around 14,000 Indian nationals currently live in Indonesia, including entrepreneurs, engineers, and IT professionals, fostering people-to-people ties.
Subianto’s visit, which follows a meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last November, is expected to reinforce the multifaceted partnership between the two nations.
Source: X
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