GS Paper II

News Excerpt:

India and Indonesia have agreed to enhance collaboration in areas of defence industry, maritime security and multilateral cooperation at the seventh India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting held in New Delhi.

More about the meeting:

• India’s Defence Secretary and Indonesia’s Defence Ministry Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto chaired the meeting.
• The last India-Indonesia JDCC meeting was held in New Delhi in 2018.

Key takeaways from the meeting:

• Both sides expressed satisfaction at the expanding scope of defence cooperation between the two countries. 
• The progress made on various bilateral initiatives deliberated in meetings of working groups on defence cooperation and defence industries cooperation was also reviewed by the co-chairs.

India-Indonesia relations:

• India and Indonesia have a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and have arrived at a shared vision of the Indo-Pacific.
• In current times, this partnership is characterised by close cooperation in bilateral and multilateral arena, including frequent high-level interactions.
• Indonesia is an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region.
• Indonesia is also keen to build its own defence industry and offered to share India’s experiences in this regard and also to partner for long-term collaborations in the defence sector.

Historical ties:

• Earlier this year both countries celebrated the 75th year of diplomatic relations.
• The diplomatic relations between both countries began in 1949. 
• A year later, Indonesia's first president Soekarno was the first guest to be invited to India's Republic Day celebration in 1950. India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru attended the 1955's Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.
• India and Indonesia are also member states of the G-20, the E7 (countries), the Non-aligned Movement, and the United Nations. Along with maritime borders, India and Indonesia share a strong culture and history.

Why is the India-Indonesia defence cooperation important geopolitically?

• India and Indonesia are the two largest democracies and economies in the region and have been steadily enhancing their defence cooperation in recent years. 
• This defence partnership holds significant importance for both countries and the broader region, given their strategic locations, economic clout and shared maritime interests.
• India and Indonesia have elevated their strategic partnership to the level of ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ in 2018. 
• Both countries also signed the Defence Cooperation Agreement. 
• India and Indonesia share ‘Vision on Maritime Cooperation’. 
• Defence cooperation is marked with regular India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO-CORPAT), bilateral army and naval exercises such as Garuda Shakti and Samudra Shakti.
• The first-ever India-Indonesia Defence Industry Seminar and Exhibition was organised in Jakarta, which showcased the Indian defence industry and explored the potential for partners. 
• Indonesia is an immediate maritime neighbour of India, and the two countries share the Bay of Bengal, and about 80 per cent of the energy exports to East Asia pass through the Bay of Bengal.
• It is very important for India and Indonesia to keep this Sea Link of Communication (SLOC)  secured, and open, and to ensure that no hostile country or entity chokes this.
• Cooperation in maritime security, including joint naval exercises, sharing of intelligence, and coordinated patrols, helps safeguard vital SLOC and combat maritime threats like piracy, smuggling and terrorism.
• Given their geographical locations, India and Indonesia are prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones. 
• Joint preparedness, disaster relief operations and the sharing of best practices in disaster management can significantly enhance the resilience and response capabilities of both nations. 
• Collaboration in this area strengthens civil-military cooperation and reinforces the humanitarian aspects of defence cooperation.
• This sort of exchange between India and Indonesia helps both countries in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts.
• The bilateral relationship was deepened since the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Jakarta in September 2023 and Indonesian President Joko Widodo to New Delhi for the G20 Leaders’ Summit held under India’s presidency in September 2023.