India And Indonesia Relations Are Century Old: Vice President Of India

USPA NEWS - The Vice President, Mr. Mohd. Hamid Ansari addressing the public, in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 02, 2015. The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Mr. A.M. Fachir and the Ambassador of India to Indonesia, Mr. Gurjit Singh are also seen.

The Vice President of India Mr. Mohd. Hamid Ansari said that the relations between India and Indonesia are centuries old and forged by the winds that blow across the Indian Ocean. He was addressing a public meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 2, which was attended by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Mr. A.M. Fachir and large number of public.

The Vice President quoted Rabindranath Tagore´s famous poem “˜Java´:

“In a dim, distant, unrecorded age
We had met, thou and I, ““
When my speech became entangled in thine
And my life in thy life“

The Vice President said that glorious past and shared cultural ties of our nations create a strong platform for cooperation in the future. He recalled, in 2005 both the countries have agreed to become Strategic Partners and two years back our nations jointly assessed its potential through the Five Initiatives for Strengthening the India““Indonesia Strategic Partnership based on shared commitment to values of democracy, pluralism and diversity and having economies with strong complementarities and challenges.

The Vice President said that both countries have enhanced engagement in South-East Asia and this was reflected in Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi´s remarks last year in the India-ASEAN summit at Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar: that “India´s “˜Look East Policy´ has become “˜Act East Policy´.“.

The Vice President said that his visit underscores the importance India attaches to Indonesia and said that there is a need to synergize efforts in the areas of economy and business to correct the sectoral and directional imbalance of our trade.

The vast consumer market, youthful and skilled human resources and expertise in the field of information technology of India coupled with Indonesia´s natural resources, youthful population and strategic location would provide a platform for enhanced economic engagement.

The Vice President said that spreading tide of extremism and terrorism is a threat both nations face and successfully dealing with such threats requires strong cooperation among like-minded partners. The rationale for a strong India-Indonesia Strategic Partnership is clearer than ever, he added.

Mentioning the common outlook on issues including economic development, food security, counter-terrorism, and maritime security he said that both nations also face similar economic development issues and governance challenges. He also said that there is much we can learn from each other and the possibilities for cooperation across a range of sectors are almost infinite. He said that the Asia Pacific region and the world as whole would benefit from having greater cooperation between India and Indonesia.