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Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin received a tri-service Guard of Honour in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here in the national capital on Thursday.
He is here for the third India-Indonesia Defence Ministers' Dialogue. According to the ministry, the two ministers will review regional security developments, discuss multilateral issues and explore new areas to deepen bilateral defence cooperation. The Indonesian minister is on a two-day visit to India from November 26 to 27. The ministry noted that the visit reflects the growing momentum in India-Indonesia defence engagement and signals a shared commitment to expand the partnership. This interaction comes months after the President of Indonesia's visit to India in January, further reinforcing the strategic importance both countries attach to defence ties. Civilisational ties between India and Indonesia go back thousands of years. Both nations are maritime neighbours, sharing cultural, civilisational and historical linkages that can be traced back to several centuries. In recent times, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries is characterised by growing cooperation in the bilateral and multilateral arenas, including frequent high-level interactions, which is further strengthened by the Act East policy of India. The meeting comes as India-Indonesia moves closer to signing the BrahMos cruise missile deal, in a major boost for the indigenous defence industry. Defence sources told ANI that almost all the procedures are completed in the negotiations and only a nod from the Russian side is required for moving forward towards signing the contract. India and Indonesia have been discussing the deal for a long time. The issue was discussed in detail during a high-level visit in January this year when top Indonesian political and military leadership was in New Delhi. India has been able to sell the missiles to the Philippines and is looking to expand the market for the unique weapon system, which has now proved itself in war, also during the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May this year. Senior Indian military leaders visited Indonesia recently, including the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. (ANI)
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