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President Droupadi Murmu received the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday and also hosted a banquet in his honor, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Welcoming President Subianto on his first State Visit to India, President Murmu said that the civilisational ties between India and Indonesia go back thousands of years. She added that values of pluralism, inclusiveness and rule of law are common to both countries and these shared values have given direction to our contemporary relations, the release from Rashtrapati Bhavan noted. President Murmu thanked President Subianto for accepting the invitation to grace the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest. She noted that this is a historic occasion, as 75 years ago on our first Republic Day in 1950, we had the President Sukarno of Indonesia as the Chief Guest. This is a reflection of the long-standing ties and strong democratic tradition between our two countries. President Murmu also recalled the millennia old civilisational links between India and Indonesia, including the 'Bali Jatra' observed in Odisha, which commemorates the journeys undertaken by Indian seafarers and traders in ancient times from India to Bali and other regions of the Indo-Pacific, the release observed. According to Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu emphasized that in contemporary times, India and Indonesia's vast emerging markets, geographical proximity, and similarities in economic structures offer immense potential for expanding bilateral trade and investments. She also noted that defense and space cooperation are emerging as significant elements of their bilateral relations. The President stated that Indonesia is a key pillar of India's 'Act East' policy and Indo-Pacific Vision. President Murmu further mentioned that as leading members of the Global South, India and Indonesia cooperate closely on various multilateral platforms, including the G-20, and also through ASEAN. She also congratulated Indonesia for joining BRICS as a permanent member, the release added. Both leaders agreed that as Comprehensive Strategic Partners, India and Indonesia are expanding cooperation in several new fields, which will be further strengthened by this visit. (ANI)
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