VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia and India agreed to strengthen strategic partnerships across various key areas, including defense, security, economy and maritime at the 5th Indonesia-India joint commission meeting in Jakarta on Friday (05/01). Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said in a joint press statement that they discussed ways to broaden the partnerships, including by expediting finalization of countries’ defense cooperation agreements. She said Indonesia and India also agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation to fight piracy and illegal fishing. The two countries will also work together to counter terrorism through deradicalization programs and by developing a legal framework to combat transnational organized crimes, including cyber attacks. India’s foreign affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the two countries is "in a unique position to develop synergetic relationship to harness potentials [in the] Indo-Pacific region." He also  said  both countries   are united in opposing "any selective approaches in dealing with terrorism, and urged countries to stop sponsoring terrorism and refrain from encouraging the use of their respective territories to establish 'terrorist safe havens.'" Indonesia and India also agreed to speed up negotiations on exclusive economic zones and intensify cooperation to promote trade facilitations and to explore other trade potentials through greater market access. (JG)