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PM Modi to visit Indonesia today: What’s on the agenda for the 24-hour trip?

2023-09-09 00:00:00.0 铸币报-政治原网页

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a significant diplomatic visit to Indonesia this Wednesday evening. The visit, a tight 24-hour trip, culminates in his return to New Delhi on September 7 evening. The excursion to Jakarta is at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and it comes as a precursor to India's hosting of the G20 Summit on September 9-10.

In Jakarta, PM Modi is expected to take part in two high-level summits on September 7 — the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS). In an accommodating gesture, Indonesia, which currently holds the chair of ASEAN, rearranged the summit schedules to allow for PM Modi's early departure.

This year's ASEAN Summit theme is "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", reflecting Indonesia's vision for the bloc as a key hub of economic development. These meetings will also serve as an avenue for India and its Southeast Asian counterparts to review their mutual progress and map out avenues for future collaboration, ANI reported.

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It's worth noting that the 20th ASEAN-India Summit marks the first meeting of its kind since the relationship between the two parties was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. These upgraded ties signify greater cooperation across various sectors, from trade to security.

The East Asia Summit is equally significant, giving India a platform alongside eight other dialogue partners and ASEAN nations to discuss issues of regional and global import. It's a stage for multilateral dialogue, a crucial component for maintaining stability and fostering cooperation in the Asian region.

A key focus of this visit will be economic cooperation. Just in August, ASEAN-India Economic Ministers gathered in Indonesia. Their primary agenda was a timely assessment of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, initially inked in 2009. Both sides have committed to a quarterly negotiation schedule, aiming for a comprehensive review of the trade agreement by 2025.

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PM Modi's forthcoming trip to Indonesia is not his first; he previously visited the country in 2018. At that time, both India and Indonesia upgraded their bilateral relationship, inaugurating a New Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

This pact aimed at elevating cooperation in multiple domains, setting the stage for what is today a flourishing diplomatic and economic relationship between the two nations.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sounak Mukhopadhyay

Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and social media. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer.