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An Indonesian delegation arrived at Parliament on Tuesday amid the ongoing Budget Session of both Houses of Parliament, placing the visit within an important phase of India's legislative activity.
The Budget Session, which commenced on January 28, is spread over 30 sittings across 65 days and is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Under the session's schedule, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will adjourn on February 13 and reconvene on March 9. During this period, Standing Committees will examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments. The arrival of the Indonesian delegation during this active parliamentary period reflects the continuing institutional engagement between India and Indonesia, particularly at the legislative and diplomatic levels. Such engagement was evident last year when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited India as the Chief Guest at the 76th Republic Day celebrations. During that visit, President Subianto toured the Parliament House and held discussions with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on India's parliamentary system, while also expressing appreciation for the architecture of the Parliament House. On that occasion, Birla presented President Subianto with a copy of the Constitution of India and a replica of the Parliament House. These parliamentary interactions formed part of the wider historical and civilisational relationship between the two countries, with India and Indonesia sharing cultural links spanning thousands of years, influenced by epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. During the same visit, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar met President Subianto ahead of his participation as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations, underscoring bilateral engagement at the highest constitutional level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held talks with President Subianto at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The discussions focused on defence, security, the maritime domain, economic cooperation, and people-to-people ties. President Subianto's visit, undertaken at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, marked his first state visit to India since assuming office in October 2024. Following the meeting, he highlighted the historic nature of India-Indonesia relations and the depth of cooperation between the two nations. In a press statement alongside Prime Minister Modi, President Subianto said, "The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia is on land donated by the Indian government before we were recognised by many other countries in the world. We will prioritise this relationship in the interest of long-term strategic partnership which we have agreed upon. We feel very honoured that I will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade and because the first Chief Guest in India's first Republic Day parade was President Sukarno, so this is a great honour for me." (ANI)
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