PM Modi heads to Australia after wrapping up 3-day Indonesia visit with 14 strategic pacts

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday departed for Australia after wrapping up a three-day visit to Indonesia, during which he signed 14 agreements to boost cooperation in areas such as critical minerals and maritime security, according to a PTI report.

PM Modi, in a post on X, said he was leaving with immense satisfaction over the outcomes achieved for the future of the India-Indonesia partnership, PTI reported. He expressed gratitude to the people of Indonesia and President Prabowo Subianto for his warmth and personal commitment to elevating bilateral ties, adding that the visit had opened new avenues for cooperation in defence and security, maritime collaboration, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, digital innovation and capacity building.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a post on X, wrote "Terima kasih, Indonesia!" as he confirmed that PM Modi had concluded his state visit and embarked for Melbourne for the second leg of his three-country tour.

Jaiswal noted that the Prime Minister was seen off at the airport by President Prabowo himself, calling it a special gesture of friendship, and said the visit had yielded significant outcomes across key areas of cooperation, placing the India-Indonesia partnership on a stronger footing and setting an ambitious agenda for the future.

14 agreements signed, Sabang port development on the cards

During the visit, PM Modi held bilateral talks with President Prabowo, who personally dropped him off at the airport, according to PTI. Both leaders underlined the importance of a deeper bilateral partnership for a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific and called for a "zero-tolerance" approach to terrorism, demanding action against globally proscribed terrorists, the report said.

As per PTI, the two sides signed 14 agreements covering critical minerals and steel supply chains, maritime security, medicines, education, outer space, research and innovation, telecommunications and food security. In a significant move, India and Indonesia also agreed to jointly develop the strategically located Sabang Port, which overlooks the Strait of Malacca and lies around 160 km from India's Great Nicobar Port project, the report noted.

PM Modi had landed in Jakarta on Monday to a red-carpet welcome, the first leg of a three-nation tour that will also take him to Australia and New Zealand, aimed at strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, security and rare-earth minerals under the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of 2018, PTI reported.

Before his departure, PM Modi and President Prabowo visited the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, marking the inauguration of a joint conservation project for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with PM Modi thanking Indonesia for preserving the "grand heritage" of the site, according to the report. The visit came a day after the two countries exchanged a Letter of Intent to begin the temple's conservation and restoration with Indian assistance.

From Indonesia, PM Modi will travel to Melbourne from July 8-10 at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with the visit expected to advance cooperation in defence, trade, education and people-to-people ties between the two countries.