New Delhi, April 14: India and Indonesia emphasized the need for greater maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and agreed to improve connectivity between the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Aceh Province. This was among the outcomes of the 7th round of India-Indonesia Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Jakarta, Indonesia, today. The meeting was co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs of India, and Dr. Abdul Kadir Jailani, Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. The last FOC was held on June 25, last year, virtually. The two delegations emphasized the need for greater maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and their continued commitment to strengthen India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also reviewed their overall bilateral relationship, covering political exchanges, defence and security cooperation, trade and economic matters, and consular issues. They agreed to improve connectivity between Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Aceh Province, as well as to enhance people to people exchange, and cultural cooperation. They also exchanged views on recent regional and global developments, and cooperation within G20, ASEAN framework, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Secretary (East) also invited Indonesia to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The talks were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. It was agreed to hold the next round of Consultations in India at a mutually convenient time, an official statement said. In 2018, India and Indonesia, as part of the ‘Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific’ set up a special task force to enhance connectivity between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the port of Sabang in Aceh to promote trade, tourism and people-to-people contacts. The major outcome of Prime Minister Modi’s 2018 visit to Indonesia and summit meeting with President Joko Widodo was outlining of the “Shared Vision on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.” In 2019, the Aceh Chamber of Commerce dispatched a merchant vessel, KM Aceh Millennium, carrying 150 tons of cargo for exhibition at Port Blair, which symbolized the viability of such a shipping link. (UNI)
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