Defence collaboration key focus of Modi's Indonesia visit

India is likely to ink a new defence agreement with Indonesia during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-day visit to Jakarta beginning from Tuesday.

Modi's meeting with Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, will focus on stepping up India-Indonesia bilateral cooperation in areas of defence, space, pharmaceutical and infrastructure.

Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs, said both the countries were discussing some agreements for cooperation in the areas of defence, space and science and technology which might be inked during prime minister's visit which begins on May 29. Prime minister Modi will leave for Singapore from there on May 31 for a three-day visit.

One of the pacts, India and Indonesia are likely to ink on May 30 is a new “Comprehensive Defence Cooperation Agreement”, upgrading the existing “Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Fields of Defence”. New Delhi and Jakarta are also discussing the possibility of increasing the frequency of defence exchanges, training and joint exercises among the special forces of the armed forces of the two nations.

Modi and Widodo will also explore collaboration between defence industries for joint production of equipment with technology transfer, technical assistance, and capacity building cooperation, sources said in New Delhi.

The two leaders are also likely to discuss the issue of global terrorism and other transnational crimes to significantly enhance bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism, terrorist financing, money laundering, arms smuggling, human trafficking and cyber crime.